I should have known, when I decided to forgo my usual morning cup o’ joe that the morning was not going to go as expected. I should have taken that morning moment to make the coffee.
I was innocently catching up on messages on Facebook when my kids said with glee “Someone’s here!!”
“Wha…t?”
You’ve never seen a mother run so fast for her pants and a hat to hide the fact that she was completely unprepared for whatever was to come. I was wondering who it was at my door when I opened it and blurted “OH YOU, are HERE? Now?” to a Social Worker. Despite my being incredibly rude first off, she smiled graciously, but with a subtly puzzled look in her eyes that spoke the truth. “The appointment was booked last week…” And sure enough, there it was on my calendar. I apologized profusely and tried to hide the unruly bed hair trying to escape my fancy Jamaica hat. Fancy. Not as fancy as all the dishes from my Steeped Tea party the night before, and all the breakfast dishes all piled precariously looked. Yah, ok…that fancy.
It is that time of year for my Social Worker to come for a visit to renew our funding contract for our child who has disabilities. Our Aspie.
The kids were deliriously happy that I had been taken unawares and that they were free to do as they please and get away with it for the next hour. Mommy has a meeting….whoo hoo! Let’s be the kids who hide in the basement with a long movie. Happy, healthy kids. And NO Home schooling. Yay!…Mom’s outta our hair.
The appointment went well, except I could feel the morning grit on my teeth and feel the night stank that coated my mouth because brushing my teeth hadn’t fit into my furiously fast apparel change. I figured being in pants was more important than shining my gritty teeth.
As the clock ticked my 11am appointment was quickly approaching. I was so thankful both of those morning appointments were booked to be at my (extremely chaotic) house. If it had to happen this way, it was a good plan…without actually putting two brain cells together to plan it.
Who planned to have two appointments on one morning and then didn’t write stuff down on the calendar? I didn’t. Because I didn’t get that far. If I would just look at my calendar some days. And maybe write the other things down.
With a window only long enough to brush the grit and grime out of my chops and scrape through my hair only to put a cap back on it. I think I may have washed my face. In a panic I paid my children to sweep and tidy while I wiped and looked for my meeting material. I may have even stacked the dishes at the sink to make it look like they were getting done.
The next professional came through the door and I still pretty much looked like I had been zapped out of some strange sort of fashion faux pas machine. Doesn’t matter, its office wear, where I work!
Home schooling meeting over, I had zero seconds to leap out of the door and get headed to where? I didn’t know. I had to go somewhere that I was completely unfamiliar with, and when I have to navigate unfamiliar territory, I internally freak. With the rush out the door I forgot my cell phone. I did remember to bring a copy of the incredibly unclear directions Google gave me. They were ever so NOT HELPFUL! Thanks Google. You don’t live here…you don’t know how much you have messed with my head trying to give me directions out here. THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
I have proof that the middle of nowhere exists because I was there. With bells. Well, tea anyways.
I got lost, first off. Just how do you get lost on the VAST prairies? Easily. Done it more times than I’ll ever tell you. Wasted 20 min’s of driving time and I had to be at the school, in an hour. Google told me it would take 1.5 hours. I was delivering teas for a fundraiser the school had run and it had been “challenging” from the start. I was happy to get it over with, if only Google was correct, once in a while. C’mon. At least this time!
Driving to the “remote” community required a long road in the middle of somewhere. It is rumored to be a dangerous highway and with a few good reasons. I’ve always felt safe when I’ve been stranded on the prairies with no cell phone. I knew a friendly farmer would stop and help. Don’t ask how many times that’s been…I don’t have those same fuzzy prairie thoughts in this area. Not in this part of the world. No, you think big scary thoughts. And I forgot my cell. I felt all alone and didn’t know where I was going.
the clouds hung heavy with their load. Heavy and ominous. The air seemed in turmoil as it blew me around the road in the van. Do you ever feel like when you are trying to find a place you’ve never been that it seems to take FOREVER? And I felt alone. Really alone. There were hardly any signs at all telling me that I was going the right direction so I was hoping I had taken the correct long winding road to somewhere. Otherwise, I was hooped.
An hour and a half drive later I finally found the town I was looking for! I even found the school, which was so easy to find, that I missed it the first time. Darn that Google!! Beautiful town!
With the packages delivered it was a load off my mind and I went straight for the closest vendor of caffeine. I felt the energy return and I do believe the sun peeked out of the clouds.
On my way home that lonely road became a little busier. At the “scary” part in the highway I suddenly was caught behind a very slow-moving truck. A fast-moving truck moved quickly to box me in. I got very nervous at this point. We started slowing down and another vehicle joined the line moving slowly. all of a sudden, the truck behind me, that had almost been kissing my bumper, pulled out and with a hair to spare the oncoming truck he zoomed in front. I could see a head on collision that was seemingly going to happen but thankfully didn’t. I wasn’t boxed in any more, but as I passed through the only four-way stop on the whole road, I found myself boxed in again. Thankfully, it was only harmless paranoia on my part.
The rest of the trip I enjoyed just how amazing God had made this part of the country in Spring. It’s quite beautiful really.
I got home and kids flew in all directions. Some to soccer, some making their own supper and some had flown the coop with others a while before. I was glad to kiss my hubby and know this day may actually come to a peaceful end.
I was reminded, on that lonely road, that even though I was the only one in the van, I had a friend and protector right with me no matter what happened. I am so thankful my Jesus, my Savior and my friend saw me safe. Even if I hadn’t been safe, He would have been with me. 
Emerging from the Chrysalis 