The silver lining

Well, as it turns out, I wasn't able to enjoy my new smartphone very long. (I finally joined society and upgraded to a phone that would allow me to access internet about six weeks ago.) And, as luck would have it, it got waterlogged in one of my car cupholders that was filled to the brim with water. And how the water got there, I'm not sure, but it was, and my phone somehow fell out of my purse into said puddle. Not sure how long it was swimming there, but long enough. :(

Anyhow, I begrudgingly visited Verizon yesterday, hanging onto some small hope it would be fixable. It was not. And I had not purchased insurance on it (stupid, stupid, stupid; lesson learned!). But this super small incident is not what this post is about. What's unique about my visit to Verizon was that I ran into an old friend, during what was anything but another "errand" for her. See, my friend just lost her husband about two months ago. He battled auto immune deficiency complications for many many years. He left behind his wife, my friend, and his two adorable teenage daughters, one of whom I taught 5th grade to several years ago.

She was at Verizon to finally disconnect his phone; shut down his service. And, while we were both being tended to at the counter, she broke down into tears. And while she kept insisting that it was "silly" she was so upset, I kept hugging her and insisted that it wasn't silly at all. I was thinking to myself, one of the cruel parts of losing a spouse must be all the little housekeeping things that have to be tended to; and how with each thing you take care of, it's another crack in your heart.

When I was recapping my day to Jason last night, he pointed out that what happened on my errand to the phone store was a perfect example of how something really good can come out of something bad. Something that was a real bummer to me - taking my water-logged phone to the store - turned out to be something much bigger, and even a good thing, for my friend who was going through something difficult.

And while I agree with his observation, I also think it's a wonderful example of how God is always taking care of His children. I know many would suggest that it was merely a coincidence that we were both there at the same time (and yes, I agree Huntsville is a small town :), but I think it's far more than just that.

I hope I was some small comfort for my friend, that she didn't have to be there alone. And I also hope I keep in my heart and mind the lesson I was reminded of: that life really is so fragile, so short. And while I wasn't in tears or anything over my phone (I don't even think I cursed when I saw it in the water :), it helped me, very quickly, put things in perspective.