Happy Sacred Sunday!
If you’ve been reading or listening along, you know I’ve recently shared about my sister’s health struggles.
We’re currently living with so much uncertainty, encountering roadblocks and disappointments, and wishing desperately that things could be different.
In this week’s podcast episode, I shared a bit about what I’m going through in real time, the principles I fall back on when I’m in the thick of it, and how to listen for bliss when life isn’t going well.
I recorded the episode a little earlier than usual because I knew I’d be spending a few days with my sister at the hospital. My family and I headed to our family’s apartment in Hallandale for the 4th of July. The plan was for me to spend the evening with them and then I’d drive to Ft. Myers the next morning while they spent the weekend with the family. Knowing I’d be gone, my husband suggested creating a list of things for him and the kids to do while I was away.
“A daddy bucket list, like the one we did when mom and Orly went to Korea!” Ryan cheered.
I thought it was a great idea that my husband was setting up such a special weekend with his boys… and I was sad to miss out on it.
I wanted to be with my sister, but I wanted to be with them too. This was one of those examples of wishing things were different.
We drove to Hallandale in separate cars.
Orly drove my car, and the other boys went with Orlando. While on the expressway, my husband called to see where we were. It turns out we were driving parallel to each other at that precise moment despite having left separately!
The GPS instructed us to get off a few exits earlier because of heavy traffic.
“Oh, that’s right by the burger place we put on our bucket list!” Orlando commented. He paused for a second and then said, “Wait, why don’t we go eat there right now so mommy can take part in one of our activities? Are you guys hungry?”
We all were hungry and loved the idea, so we took a detour to La Birra (best burgers ever, by the way).
That’s when the surprise spark popped in.
It may seem silly—to feel a spark of bliss because we took a detour to a restaurant—but to me, it was more than that.
It was gratitude that my husband thought to do something spontaneous so that I could join in on the fun. It was excitement to try a burger Orlando and Ryan had raved about because they’d tried it first. And it was a moment of disconnect from the heaviness I’d been living in for several weeks.
Our late lunch was delicious and set the mood for a lovely evening. We headed down to the beach as the sun was setting. The skies were a picturesque masterpiece. I breathed in the fresh air and dug my heels into the sand — knowing soon I’d be wearing sweatpants and a sweater in a cold, gloomy hospital room. As the beach got dark, fireworks filled the sky. We’d never seen so many fireworks on that beach before.
As we stood by the water, looking up at the sky, Orlando put his arm around me and said, “Who knew it would be such a special night? You see, Caro, we may not be together the whole weekend, but we have this momentico.”
As I headed out the next morning, I felt deep gratitude for the surprise 4th of July “interruption” and I was ready to go take care of my sister with a servant’s heart.
I thought about the advice I gave on the podcast about listening for bliss when you’re in the thick of it, and I realized the Universe had rewarded me with a spark just when I needed it.
I hope no matter what you’re going through, you, too, get surprise sparks of bliss to interrupt your life in the best of ways.
Sending you so much love!
Tune into this week’s episode