November 22, 2023 Fargo, pity party for one! I’ve had a string of bad luck lately. While there were numerous bad-luck incidents before this, the most recent incidents related to my beloved Jeep. My little “junior Jeep” was getting up there in years and miles, and she needed some suspension work. Between issues getting parts and the extent of the work required, she was in the shop off and on for two weeks. It’s safe to say the bill from all that work stung a bit. I got my Jeep back, finally fully operational and riding smoothly and quietly (or as quietly as a Jeep ever rides), on Friday. I hit a deer on Tuesday. The insurance company has indicated they think my Jeep is totaled (may she rest in pieces). After picking up a rental car, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself as I drove to the tow yard to remove my belongings and the plates from my Jeep. I had what I refer to as “the cries.” Arriving at the tow yard, I walked past a slew of smashed vehicles on the way to my smashed vehicle. One vehicle’s front end was completely obliterated. Another had obviously been cut open. Seeing the extent of the damage to those other vehicles shifted my perspective a bit. Suddenly, the damage on my Jeep felt less significant. I wondered if the people who drove those vehicles walked away from their crashes unharmed like I did. I was suddenly thankful. I thanked God for keeping me and the other driver safe (the deer went off my Jeep and into a pickup truck). I thanked God that the toughest thing I had going on in my life at that second was the annoyance of having to deal with insurance and shop for a new vehicle. Is my life perfect? Nope. It’s far from it. But thinking back on even the worst days of my life, I can always find something for which to be thankful, and I can almost always see God’s grace unfolding somewhere. As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, we, the staff, columnists, reporters and photographers of the North Country Catholic are thankful for you, the subscribers and readers of this newspaper. Your kind words, your support and even your constructive criticism have been blessings in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that party includes no pity. |
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