Imagine living in a perfect world. One where everything works out as we planned, and even when the unplanned happens, the surprises are desirably pleasant, never embarrassing. No problem is too big to handle. Our lives and our world are always within our control! No stress allowed!
Now imagine you are having difficulty breathing. Significant difficulty. So significant that you could only dial 9-1-1 and then count every desperate gasping breath, waiting anxiously, hoping for help to arrive. First to respond is the fire department. Their sirens screech with urgency, speeding down the road to arrive at the front door, ready to rescue. Knock. Knock. Knock. No answer. It is too late? With the clock ticking, the momentum mounting, and the intention to do good at the forefront, a firefighter breaks through the front door to gain access to get to you because they believed you could not come to the door.
To their surprise, they cannot find you in the house. What a puzzling moment! Then came a phone call that made it clear. The firefighters realized they are at the wrong address. Fortunately for you, a second first responder team is dispatched to your actual address.
They arrive just in time! This scenario may seem unimaginable, but it is in fact imaginably true. We are certain that this is a true story because that once intact front door belongs to Diem. Yes, the Diem half of this very ROAMcare. The door that once secured the premises is now no longer able to protect her home, making her feel vulnerable. Anxiety and worry set in as night falls.
This unexpected incident became an opportunity for Diem to practice some of the very things we write, one of which is to focus on the now and be present. Whatever has happened, happened. It cannot be undone. It helps to keep in mind that the mishap derived from a good intent to save a life. What if you were actually in the house needing urgent care and could not come to the door? Breaking the barrier to gain access would be rightly justified. Yet, because this was an error, and you had no control over the situation, you can’t beat yourself over it. The door can’t repair itself.
It takes great strength and faith to be in the present. To acknowledge the now is to accept and let go of the past. Sometimes, it requires forgiveness. Sometimes, it requires compassion. Focusing on how to move forward calmly will bring greater healing than placing blame. People who have wronged us hurt us deeply, especially when we consider we have no control over their actions and decisions. To grow, we must find strength within ourselves to embrace our hurt and learn from these experiences. Only we can change what is in our control to do better next time.
Our world is not perfect. But it is perfectly beautiful when we choose to be present and see its beauty.
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