Saturday, September 10, 2011

What are birthdays for

if not to provide the perfect opportunity for chaos to ensue, thus gently (though definitely not subtly) reminding us that not only are we decidedly not the center of the universe, but rather daily participants in a continual cycle called life.

Yesterday, my birthday, was wrought with unexpected turns, beautiful fall weather, unwelcome moments, and great friends.

The chaos (well, the abnormal chaos, I should say) began when I got a reminder call from a horse trainer that he was expecting Caspian to arrive today (yesterday) for training and that he was expecting me to deliver him (the delivery part I had not previously anticipated). Because my horse trailer is currently filled with 40 bales of hay, I knew I would not be able to extract it from it's current parking spot through the mud and prepare it to haul. So, I called my dear friend, Susan, and she generously offered to use her trailer to take Caspian. We loaded Caspian, transferred Declan's carseat over from my truck, grabbed the cell phone which had the directions and headed out (you mommy's out there... notice anything missing?).

After driving for nearly 2 hours through traffic, we realized that the directions we were using had taken us nearly 1 hour out of our way and as we neared our destination, my phone battery started dying. I frantically wrote out the last bit of directions on a scrap piece of paper so that we wouldn't be abandoned to our fate, stranded on back roads in the heart of TN with a horse and infant for company. We finally arrived at our destination with a starving baby who required immediate attention. While Susan valiantly distracted our host in conversation, I hopped in the backseat to nurse Declan privately. After a few minutes, I thought to myself, "Lovely, I don't have his diaper bag", at which point he started the very arduous routine of producing a rather large "blow out". I laughed out loud at the irony of it all! I finished nursing him, called for Susan and buckled the soiled gem into his carseat. We spotted a gas station on our way home, where sat 4 gray haired gentlemen in rocking chairs on the front porch - a scene I might have expected from decades prior. Though we weren't hopeful, we decided to scout the place for "nappies" (diapers). I greedily snatched up the sole bag, sized 16-23lbs, paid with cash (since of course their credit card machine wasn't working) and prepared the boy for getting on some clean shorts. The diapers were the length of Declan from his neck to his crotch, but it's amazing how one will improvise when one is desperate. I couldn't help but smile when I looked into the backseat to see that little blue-eyed boy sitting there looking around as content as could be in nothing but a diaper which covered his entire torso. I though to myself how much life should be celebrated, in all it's chaos and in every unexpected turn (in the road).

3 comments:

denisemayen said...

Priceless! I hope that there were some redeeming moments of calm at some point in the day. Love you!

Gwendolyn said...

You are SO funny!! How many times have I marveled at the incredible sense of humor you have always had. Someday, you will be recounting these stories to your grandchildren as my grandma did with me and infusing them with the same effervescent humor as did she. Love you, dearest.
One memorable birthday, for sure!

susan said...

How boring life would be without God's wonderful sense of humor!!!!!! I love you dear friend and am up for any chaos that we maybe able to share together!!!!!!
Many more HAPPY, FUN, CHAOTIC Birthdays ahead!!!!!