|
Once again, on July 4th, I got an incredible lesson in the happiness of serendipity. This is quickly becoming an Independence Day tradition, I guess. So many people wrote to remind me of last year’s jaw-dropping Fourth of July newsletter — the one about a slew of unconnected circumstances putting me in the right place at the right time to save a young girl’s life. This year’s story is not nearly so dramatic, but essentially the same thing happened again, on a much smaller and more intimate scale, but still… I love going out to watch fireworks on Fourth of July! The festival we went to last year was amazing and it was happening again and I was really looking forward to it. Then, on Friday the 1st, we started hearing them. The pop-pop-BANG! of backyard displays. It was only a few little explosions that night, but by Saturday it got louder and my husband and I marveled at how many people bought these things and why were they setting them off now anyway? Then Sunday came — one full day before the holiday, and our typically quiet little neighborhood was starting to sound like a war zone. At one point, I got up to go to the kitchen and Pepper got up to join me. In fact, she clung to me. Our ever-stalwart girl was terrified. We’d never seen her like this, but then again, we’d never been home with her during heavy shelling. There was no question, the next night was going to be much worse, and we weren’t going anywhere. And I have to confess, I was a little bummed (and wracked with guilt over what the previous year may have been like for her). Then — it happened again. The universe reminded me that I am always exactly where I’m supposed to be, whether it’s my idea or not. Around 6:30, my husband got a text from a dear friend saying, “I know you guys must have plans tonight, but if you don’t, I really need to talk.” Our plans were to sit home and do nothing. I was going to make a chicken caesar salad, but that and Netflix and hugging the dog were pretty much our whole agenda. We told him to come right over. This is where no further details are required, except to say that he was right about really needing to talk. I was happy that we could feed him and be there for him, which I guess means I was happy that the dog was terrorized and that the fun festival was missed and that it turns out we live in one of those neighborhoods where people buy hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars of fireworks and just create their own displays. (Oh, and I’m happy — and stunned — that no one’s house burned down!) For the second year in a row, on our nation’s birthday, I got to peek behind the curtain and see how all the strings connect. And I am once again reminded of what was hammered home last year: #1 — the bad thing that is happening now might be the best thing that could possibly happen, and Can’t wait to see what next year brings… Hope you had a great weekend!
|
