Gratitude Unexpected

Image by sdmacdonaldmiller from Pixabay

I’ve gotten into the habit of looking at challenges as gifts in disguise. Okay, maybe they don’t feel like gifts, per se, but if we take a moment and look for some aspect, some opportunity to be grateful for, we’re far more likely to find it. When we do, appreciation flows and the challenge becomes easier. Here’s a personal experience with the unexpected.

For 24 years, I drove a 1998 Saturn. Bought it in Hawaii on April 1 (yes, no fooling!). It had a great sound system, a 5 speed transmission (that’s a gear shift on the floor for those that don’t know), low mileage, and the only bell was if I left the key in the ignition or the lights on. I loved that car!

In May of this year, some repairs signaled a time to let go but I wasn’t ready. So, repairs were made with fingers crossed and high hopes it would last for a couple more years. Not! 4 months later a leak in a brake cylinder, $1000 estimate to replace both rear brakes, and I just couldn’t do it. At nearly 30 years old and over 260,000 miles, it was time to release my Saturn, appreciate all the great years it gave, and get a car I could drive anywhere I wanted to go.

In October, we went car shopping — not to buy, only to test drive to narrow the field. I wanted something small, something different. The Mini Cooper appeared briefly on my radar, the Prius, too, but let’s see what fits my budget. We drove through a couple dealers, then headed to my first choice, CarMax. They carry used cars of many makes and models. I had no experience with CarMax at all. It, too, just popped up on my radar.

Our sales woman showed us a few that matched my list (manual transmission, sun roof, not red, not black). Saw a couple Minis - too expensive and, if I got a Mini, I wanted a 2-door. She went inside to check other locations, but first suggested we look down another aisle. If we saw something we liked, take a picture of the sticker and she’ll look it up. We wandered down the aisle when, near the end, we spotted a bright yellow-green Mini convertible. Too bright for me, but right next to it was a dark green hard top. Upon further inspection, it had a sun roof, and a 6 speed transmission, and it was the same color as my Saturn! Why hadn’t she shown us this?

“It’s reserved for a test drive. The woman is on her way in.” We decided to wait. After the test drive, the woman came in with the salesman and sat at a desk near us. They chatted. Then the sales guy picked up the keys and brought them over to us. The car was mine if I wanted it! I walked over to the woman that had just driven it. She said she has a Mini and loves it but wants a newer car with less miles. This Mini was 10 years old with 33,000 miles. She was delighted to know that someone else wanted it and said “It was a sign” that she was doing the right thing by letting it go. She also suggested I buy it. “It’s a great car.”

We made the deal that day. But wait, there’s more!

CarMax offers a 10 day return option for any reason and a 90 day warranty. Before we bought the car, we noted some chrome coming off the rim of one of the headlights and the rear sun roof slider was stuck. “Bring it in” and they’ll fix it. They did and more.

About a month later, I’m getting used to all the bells and whistles and I get a low tire pressure indicator. My first thought was I hope I didn’t make a mistake getting this car, which I already loved. Shaking off the fear I thought maybe this is a good thing(?) and took it to a local tire shop. I had picked up a nail. In checking my other tires, he said I need to replace the two front tires. The rear tires were new, while the front tires were 8 years old, severely cracked, and not safe to drive. This went unnoticed by me because all the tires looked new: excellent tread, shiny black. Looking for cracks was beyond my pay grade. I called CarMax, they agreed, and replaced the two front tires.

So the gratitude is obvious but here’s the unexpected: Had I not fixed the Saturn in May, I would likely be driving a different car today. Same is true had I listened to others and not gone to that CarMax (an hour away). And had we simply walked away, assuming the woman test driving the car would buy it, I may have missed out on that Mini. Later, had I not driven over a nail, I would not have gotten new free tires under warranty.

Moral of the story

This may not seem like much of a challenge to some, but for various reasons it was to me. There were many points that could have discouraged me. Each juncture could have sent me spiraling into frustration, disappointment, and despair ending in a different result. But what if each was somehow a good thing not yet revealed?

Challenges come in all sizes. It can be difficult to feel grateful when things don’t go the way we plan, but I wonder if that’s the perfect time to pause and consider what’s happening, the feelings it brings up, and the potential benefit.

Image by Debbie Jenae

What if there is hidden treasure in every detour? You know — two sides to every coin, can’t have rainbows without rain… you get the idea.

The challenges we face are not a test of our worthiness or strength,

but a reminder of them — and that’s a good thing.