Push Thru It! Excavated

Blasting “Don’t Fear the Reaper” on my stereo, I high-tailed it from a blissful wedding to pick up my daughter at her Dad’s while getting psyched for the meaningless late night small talk with his GF and him. I was invincible, dazzling in my purple dress with girdle underneath. Feelings, soul and gut tucked in, securely fastened. I would take the high road and extend hellos and birthday invitations and leave quickly with a lasting impression of regret, mystique, and such awe at our co-parenting that it is hard to imagine we are actually apart. A sure thing, a brief entrance without a moment to reveal my soft underbelly, oozing from my undergarments and psyche.

With my fresh glistening lipstick, I lovingly secured my girl in her seat and began the decline of his driveway and my evening. Wheels stopping, I quickly realized I was entrenched in a ditch. STUCK.

No desperate acceleration or push would free me from this mess. I was in deep waiting for the Triple A excavator while continuing shallow conversation with GF and Ex at the kitchen table. Slightly redeemed by my organizational skills or an answered prayer, I quickly found my Triple A card despite being rattled by my two wheels off the ground. I made a compelling case for a quick response by stressing the precarious position of the car without mentioning my own.

We put on our best face. GF and I exchanged pleasantries, shared summer experiences and moved from shallow to sincere. She comforted me by revealing I was not the first to struggle with the descent, while my Ex calmly problem-solved and joked to help the situation. We were in it together, sharing the drama, odds stacked against us as the petite blond excavator arrived and handed me the damage waiver to sign. We cheered as Jessica B. pulled the car from the ditch and lifted the weight of the situation.

The last circumstance I would have chosen for myself became an opportunity to face what had been difficult and liberate myself from facades and fears in the space of not an option. Humbled, I became my best in the worst and strong, real and dignified in the humanity of a screw-up. Like my car, I became free. No damage done.

•  Where do you need to free yourself? 
• What opportunities might you experience as a result? 

Dedicated to Jessica B. who helped me to get unstuck!