Traffic Snarls/Unexpected Gift

After dropping my daughter off at school I was on autopilot as I exited the freeway heading back home. On the way to my daughter's school I noticed the traffic jam on the opposite side of the street and I made a mental note to not take my usual route home in order to avoid the repercussions of a morning fender-bender. But my mental note must have fluttered out the open window like a loose post-it since I found myself, too late, taking my usual exit thus depositing myself directly into the traffic jam I wanted to avoid.

Isn't it amazing, and a bit disconcerting, how much we rely on habits and other unconscious acts to get us through the day? As I sat in the traffic I wondered about where my mind was after only a few minutes after pulling a way from the curb of my daughter's school. I felt irritated with myself for my inattention. My mind started ticking off the things I had to do today and how sitting in this traffic mess was not penciled into my Day Planner. My shoulders began to tense as I visualized my morning in a stepped-up hyperspeed to make up for the lost time. I shot a glance down to the needle of my gas gauge; it looked about a centimeter from signaling the orange light to turn on, confirming that, yes, I should have listened to that little voice last night and stopped to fill the tank on the way home. The traffic began to inch forward at roughly the same speed as Tartlin, our desert tortoise. I realized it was going to be at least 20 minutes before I arrived at the first of the two stoplights ahead.

With mounting worry and frustration, I noticed the entrance to one of the city's parks about a half a block on the right. I have zoomed past this entrance for years but I had not turned into that particular entrance since my daughter was a pre-schooler. The flow of traffic shifted into a high first gear and within a few moments I steered my car through the beckoning entrance, framed by towering oaks.

Once off the congested road, I felt my body relax. I took in the sights of the park--I crossed a bridge over the San Antonio River where geese and ducks languidly floated and dove for food. Young children played on the shady playground while moms talked at the picnic tables. I had entered into an oasis, a shangri-la, as compared to the traffic mess on the other side of the bridge. I recalled bringing my daughter to this very place ten years ago to feed the ducks. The setting was so peaceful and welcoming and the memories so inviting that I parked my car and stepped out into the warm morning to watch the geese and listen to the cardinals and robins sing in the trees. I spent a few moments in silent meditation and gratitude for the opportunity to experience the serene and calming environment and reconnect with pleasant memories. When I returned to my car, refreshed and calm, I continued my meandering drive through the park and on toward home.

What an unexpected gift! Had I remembered to heed my mental note I would have been pleased to be on course, charging through my morning. I certainly would have felt a sense of accomplishment as I ticked off the meetings and appointments scheduled into my organizer. Later in the day I probably would not recall the traffic snarl on the way to the drop off that morning. What I received instead was an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade and revel in the beauty of the morning.

As a life coach I encourage my clients to dance in the moment and embrace new opportunities for what they might afford. This afternoon as I write this, I remember the traffic and how that event caused me to veer off my regular path to open my mind and body up to a new experience this morning. In my mind's eye I see the white geese with their orange webbed feet waddling contentedly along the bank of the river. I see a little boy climbing up a slide with proud determination on his face. I see a young mother pushing her baby in a stroller in the early morning sunshine. I see butterflies flitting among the bushes along the shady banks. I see my daughter as a small child, giggling as the ducks gathered around her, gently honking for bits of torn bread. I smile in memory of the unexpected beauty I would not have seen had it not been for a morning fender-bender.

Thought for the Day: What recent snarls have lead you to an unexpected place of beauty or opportunity? How can you dance in the moment and embrace unexpected gifts this week?

"I have just dropped into the very place I have been seeking, but in everything it exceeds all my dreams." --Isabella Bird