With the often hectic pace of everyday life and the added tension of chronic illness, it's often difficult to see much else than the negative in front of us. I fall victim to this as often as anyone. Yet, this weekend, I was reminded just how much good fortune I am lucky enough to have in my life.
Back in March, my wife and I decided to schedule a Caribbean vacation for our 40th anniversary and, as I had just seen some good deals advertised by the Costco Travel Club, I called them up. In less than an hour, the agent and I had worked out all the details for a 6 night, all-inclusive Jamaican vacation, including air and all transfers for this Fall.
All that was left now was making the financial arrangements. The agent asks the normal identifying questions; name, address, etc... and then he says, "Could I have your membership number?". He had forgotten. I wasn't a member yet and I reminded him and asked to be enrolled at that time. He paused and then said he needed to speak with his supervisor. Turns out they can't sell memberships, I'll have to go into the store the next day to enroll then call back to finish the vacation. But not to worry, they'll have it saved. Ok, whatever it takes.
So, the next day, my wife and I go to the local Costco to buy a membership only to find their computers are running really slow and it takes well over an hour. While standing there all that time it eventually occurred to one of us that Fall is the height of hurricane season in the Caribbean. After a little thought, we decided the risk wasn't worth it and scrapped our plans.
Thanks to the few seconds it took for an agent to ask for a membership number I didn't have and the extra time it took because of malfunctioning computers, the mundane, grating portions of our lives directly but unknowingly affected the good fortune touching our lives. For, were it not for those things happening, we would have been in Jamaica over the past week, enjoying the warm, embracing winds and massaging waves of Irma.
Take time each day to appreciate all around you as well as acknowledge the more rote aspects of life.
Take care
Randy
