Lemons and lemonade

Let me first say that no-one was lost, stolen, hurt, or worse during this incident. In fact, I am reluctant to even bring this up, but it had such a profound impact on me that it is certainly worth writing down.

Tomorrow is my birthday (25th! yeah right), so I thought it the perfect time for some pampering in advance of the big event. On Thursday I scheduled a hair appointment while Megan was at preschool. I knew I wouldn't be finished in time to pick Megan up, so I arranged with Daddy to get her. Long story short, my cell phone rang 20 mins after pick up time and it was Megan's school saying that she was still there. I completely freaked out and got an instant headache. Yes, I know it seems like an over-the-top reaction, but I was immediately back in St. Margaret's Primary school, the last kid on the playground, waiting with an impatient/inconvenienced/not-so-happy teacher for Daddy to pick me up. Wow. You just never know how childhood experiences shape your life.

I now know that Daddy was quite exhausted from several late nights leading up to Thursday and he'd fallen asleep and woke up just before pick-up time. Then he got lost on his way to meet Megan at school. But the whole thing just brought back all these long-forgotten emotions - if I had to name them, I would say they were fear, insecurity, and doubt.

Megan got home without incident. Just before her nap she talked about it:

Megan: All my friends left, and Grandpa was not there.
Me: I know, I'm sorry about that. How did you feel when Grandpa was late?
Megan: A little bit sad, and kind of nervous.
Me: Nervous? What does nervous mean? (I tend to ask this, because she sometimes repeats things she hears Samantha say without really understanding what it means.)
Megan: Nervous means you feel sick in your throat, like you are going to throw up.

Yep, that sounds like nervous to me.

Later that evening, Rach called just before she got on the plane for Asia. I told her the story and she laughed and said, "Lord, you were real traumatized, man. As for me, I was glad when Daddy was late to pick me up, because it meant more time for me to play on the playground!" This is the essence of my sister - when life gives you lemons, you find some sugar, water, and a jug and make 'nuff lemonade. I could learn a lot from her.