ELATION AND JUBILATION

We humans are a funny lot. When things are calm or good, we have time to complain. But give a guy a car crash, and a girl leaving work an unwanted detour, and the results can be surprising!

I was leaving work a little late, but with all my paper work completed. I had to make a detour to pick up my medical bag at another hospital and then I was on my way home. The trouble was that I had left the house in the middle of a snowstorm, and had managed to forget my charging phone at home. Had I taken the same route home, I wouldn't have had any difficulty, despite the detours, because I know them well. But I was coming from somewhere else, and without my phone, I was at the whim of my tired memory, and poor sense of direction. In a word, I was lost. But I was headed in the right direction, and wasn't finding any indication of blockades, so I kept winding through increasingly familiar streets until I was hopeful to be on my way to the highway when I saw a car parked in a snowbank. The driver was in the car, not indicating any need for help, but as I passed, it was clear this was not intentional. So I stopped and offered my help, and most importantly my shovel, which the driver was not in possession of. The car had the same system as mine to turn off traction control, which I had been reminded of earlier on my way in when I struggled up a hill on my way to work, so I turned it off, but with the wheels clear, there was no movement. I kept trying to shovel, with the gentleman taking it from me to do the bulk of the work, but it wouldn't budge. But by then another passerby stopped, and we kept shovelling under the car. It was perched on a hard pack of snow, and we were about to lose the third pair of hands to futility, when a fourth man passed by and offered to push. By then the snow was nearly carved out, and the three men on the front bumper pushed as I drove in reverse, and the car was free.

The man dropped the shovel and came at me with his arms wide open and lifted high up in the air. His face was elated and he gave me the biggest hug I have ever had from a stranger with kisses to each cheek until I wondered when it was polite to stop! It was a feeling of jubilation that could only happen in the context of unfortunate circumstances. His accident and my detour led to a triumph, albeit a small one.

So to the man who crashed his Acura tonight, Merry Christmas! Thanks for turning my detour into a triumph of the human spirit! Without your need, my shovel was not useful. Because of your need, my shovel was valuable. Because of our struggles, others came to help. We could not have done it alone, and we were not alone when we needed more help.

I have been reflecting a lot on the bigger ideals of life: resilience, charm, grace, generosity, humility, kindness, patience, loyalty, hope and faith. But it was a surprise to be reminded of other human emotions that I did not realize had value, even if it is not a daily occurence.  My early morning encounter was a fleeting brush with joy and accomplishment. It was definitely worth the detour!