April 11

You know what's not fun? Driving on 580 East at 2:30 PM on a weekday. It's a solid mass of intermittently slow-moving and recklessly darting vehicles. You know what's less fun? Driving in said-mess for 40 minutes before getting a call from your kiddo telling you that the game you were driving to see --and were 10 minutes away from reaching-- was canceled at the very last minute because the other team --the home team-- didn't show up to play. Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

That was my reality today. After releasing an impulsive expletive that probably made Isaac blush on the other end of the line, I muscled through the last part of that tedious drive, stopped at Sonic for a cherry slush (because I had to calm my frayed nerves somehow), and reversed course to head back toward Pleasanton.

As I drove and sipped on my icy treat, I took a series of deep breaths. And I admired the beautiful green hills and the sunshine and the blue, blue sky overhead. And slowly, the irritation faded. By the time I picked Isaac up from the high school and turned the car toward home, I felt fine. A wee bit chafed that I didn't get to see him play, but cognizant that there will be other games. And grateful that the change in plans meant that he and I could jet over to the fields here in town to watch Brady's team play. (And incidentally, he played well in their winning effort; 2-for-3 with a walk.) 

So yep: sometimes things don't go as planned and that's okay. Today I'm grateful for the reminder that being flexible and open to shifting plans can make life significantly more enjoyable.