The Joy of Unexpected Blessings and
The Gift of Perspective
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It had been a long weekend. Physically demanding. Emotionally draining. Mentally exhausting. It was Monday and my day for travel to an awesome training experience. I was traveling to Midland, Texas to present on Tuesday about
Adverse Childhood Experiences
for the Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (
PBRCADA
) following
Kevin Hines
one of only 36 survivors who jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in an attempt to commit suicide. His is an incredible story with a sea lion at the center! I was also returning the next day to present to a smaller group about
Trauma Informed Care
.
As I was driving to Love Field Airport I received a text. My 3:00 p.m. flight was now departing at 4:10 p.m. I decided to continue my drive just in case the airline changed its mind and the flight left at the original time. Yep, it’s happened to me before!
By the time I finished my drive, parked my car, shuttled to the airport, survived the security line and made it to the flight monitor, my departure time was 6:20 p.m.
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The Joy of Unexpected Blessings
What to do? Eat the yummy
Cantina Laredo
Cilantro de Pollo
salad! As I turn to walk to the restaurant, to my great surprise, I see my brother across the way and yell out his name. (For those of you who have been around Rainbow Days for a while and remember our former, well-loved trainer, Mendi Melton, my “brother” is her husband, Lance. Aren’t the family we get to choose the absolute best!?)
Mendi and Lance are new Grandparents (which makes me a Great Aunt by the way!) so we caught up on all the baby happenings. As we looked at the flight monitors, Lance’s flight was delayed as well. So, dinner it was!! In spite of what was now more than a three hour delay, I got to have a nice leisurely dinner with my brother and his work partner. A complete and total negative experience turned into a joy. A blessing that was hidden from me until I turned and saw Lance standing in the airport!
As we were wrapping up dinner, the loudspeaker was announcing flight cancellations and more delays. My friends, in my 17+ years of travel I’m not sure I can even count on one hand the
Southwest Airline
flights I’ve had cancelled, and Love Field Airport rarely has had substantial weather delays. This was crazy-making. Oh, and now my flight was leaving at 8:20 p.m.
So there was more waiting and irritated, grouchy people. I decided to focus on winning at
Words With Friends
to keep me calm. I thought to myself, okay, if I have to, I’ll drive to Midland!
We ended up starting to board at 8:40 p.m. By the time we backed out of the gate it was 9:03 and we were finally heading to Midland!! Or were we?
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The Gift of Perspective
As we boarded, I noticed two uniformed servicemen. This was not the ordinary, most servicemen are in fatigues. Yes, I was wondering what was up. When it was time for us to start taxiing, our pilot informed us that we had a fallen soldier on board. Have you experienced this? I have one other time. I don’t know about other airlines, but
Southwest
asks passengers to stay seated as the fallen officer’s American flag-covered casket is escorted off the plane. It is soul-stirring and perspective altering.
It absolutely DOES NOT matter that I am tired ... that I have to arrive at the conference on Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. ... that I’m nervous about speaking in front of 200 folks about a tough topic ... that I’ve arrived much later than I’d planned. No, what matters is that someone’s son who has served our country valiantly is returning home to his final resting place. It dawned on me that his family had to wait for our plane and our six-hour delay. I can’t even imagine. And, my words were mute as I saw that family standing on the tarmac when we landed.
I would like to take a moment to thank our servicemen and women (and their families) who have, or are, fighting for our freedoms. They often don’t get the recognition they deserve. It is such a small sentiment, but THANK YOU!
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Okay, back in work mode. Get the keys to the rental car, check! Pick up luggage...nope!? They aren’t there and they didn’t arrive. What? Really? But, it happens, and remember my perspective has been altered. I’m pretty chill waiting in line to make a report. A gentleman in front of me was cussing out the
Southwest
agent. It’s just not necessary. It’s certainly not their fault! I let them know I’m speaking at a conference and I need clothes, make-up and a USB drive. They let me know there is one more flight due in at 1:20 a.m. I asked my new best friend, Vicky, if she could call me either way. Oh, and the great
Southwest
gave me a travel kit with some much needed items. Yay!!!
Okie dokie! I get to the car about 11:25 p.m. and drive to the hotel. I get checked in, get as comfortable as possible and check in with my
Words With Friends
games. I’m winning!!
At 12:30 a.m. my phone rings. It’s Vicky. She informs me the last flight from Dallas Love had been cancelled. No luggage tonight! The first flight in Tuesday morning is at 7:20 a.m.
At 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning I shop for clothes, shoes, makeup, toiletries and a USB drive. I purchase, drive back to the hotel, shower, get ready and drive off in the darkness to the conference. All I have to say is God is great and He has given me the ability to do this! And, I didn’t look half bad in my new Walmart attire!
The conference experience was phenomenal! Great speakers, fantastic participants and towards the end of Kevin’s second session, before lunch, I get a phone call ... my luggage made it!! Woo-hoo! However, I decide to drive to the airport to pick it up just in case it doesn’t make it to my hotel in a timely manner.
I have a new and fresh opening story for my afternoon workshop that ties in beautifully with the resiliency that is needed to combat adverse childhood experiences. I feel like I’ve done a pretty great job at showing resiliency or as SAMHSA defines it, my “ability to
bounce forward
despite difficulties!”
I must admit, the workshop went well with great participant participation and conversation! And, we discussed ways we can all “bounce forward” in daily life. (Check out Nan Henderson’s website,
Resiliency in Action
for some great resources!)
I drive to the airport, see my favorite Southwest employee, Vicky, who is able to reimburse me with cash on the spot (I LOVE Southwest!!) and get my long awaited luggage. Yippee! I take myself for a nice dinner and I head back to the hotel for a well-deserved early night to bed!
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As I begin to unpack my suitcase, I’m caught off guard. Everything in my suitcase is wet. EVERYTHING! I’m one of those people who travels with their pillow, but I won’t be using it this time at all - it’s soaked. Because I travel so often, I pretty much keep my suitcase packed and just change out toiletries and clothing. So I proceed to unpack everything and it becomes obvious that my suitcase had been in the position it was in now as there were a couple of items on the bottom that weren’t soaked, they were just damp. Yikes!! Then I went to unpack my rolling laptop bag and yep, everything had to come out and be dried off. (There were a few things that didn’t make it home with me, but for the most part, everything survived!) I’d recently started taking off my laptop’s lithium battery and carrying that with me since these batteries are on the no-fly-in-suitcase list. I also had the power cord with me. My laptop got wet, but it still works - yes, it’s one of those unexpected blessings!
Okay folks, if yesterday I was spent then today I’m over-spent!?!?!? Really, I don’t even know how to express in words how tired I felt. Maybe beyond exhausted?!
I hoped and even prayed that my clothing would dry overnight because I had packed a couple of really cute outfits!! But, in the morning they were still wet. So, I improvised. I wore the Capri jeans I flew down in. (Janet Mitchell, I remember the first day you wore jeans to a training - you made an announcement to everyone. It wasn’t even that many years ago. Oh, the things I remember and jeans have come so far, but Capri jeans? I don’t think so!!) I’d bought a black tank and a blue tank at Walmart, not knowing which would look best with the pants and long sweater jacket I bought for Tuesday. That was another unexpected blessing because I had to wear the blue one Wednesday and I wore the sweater jacket again ... with my Birkenstocks. Can you believe that??? But my cowboy boots and black heels just didn’t look right with my Capris. I was truly a fashion mis-statement!!
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Fortunately, I had a few return participants and I was able to inform them, as well as the new folks, about my predicament. No one looked down on me in the least - another unexpected blessing! (Just in case you are concerned - TMI alert - I had one pair of clean underwear that was at the very bottom of my suitcase and dry by morning. I knew you were thinking it!!)
We had a fantastic day of learning about the
Trauma Informed Care
movement
.
We also took the opportunity to discuss self-care and what that looked like for each person. Self-care is what holds those of us in helping professions together - like the super glue of life!
So, I hoped you’ve enjoyed my travel tale. Thankfully, I made it home safely with my luggage and items intact.
I challenge you to look for unexpected
blessings and opportunities to expand your perspective.
You may not have had a travel experience like mine, but you’ve had something at sometime that made you ask yourself, “Wait, what? Really?”
I leave you with this question.
When unexpected blessings and gifts of perspective come along, how do you process them?
Believe me, there are times I'm not so positive in my reactions and I will need to think back on this experience. So, what about you? I really would love to hear how you process those moments in your life. Click on my name below and email if you'd like to share!
Here’s to the joys of unexpected blessings and the gifts of perspective,
Consulting Trainer
The Trans4m Center
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CBSG Program Facilitator Training
December 3, 2018
San Antonio, TX
Kids’ Connection, Youth Connection,
and
Kids’ Connection, Too
(collectively known as the
CBSG
®
Program
) are unique, interactive, multi-cultural curriculum-based prevention interventions that teach high-risk children and youth ages 4-17 a set of essential life skills: skills to help them learn how to cope with difficult family situations (which include Adverse Childhood Experiences), resist negative peer pressure, set and achieve goals, and refuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
This training is designed to fully prepare schools, community-based organizations, churches, juvenile justice divisions, volunteers, and other youth service professionals to fully implement the
CBSG Program
with fidelity.
Those completing this training will receive their choice one of the
CBSG Program
Facilitator manuals:
- Kids’ Connection for ages 4-12 in Schools and Communities
- Youth Connection for ages 10-17 in Schools and Communities
- Kids’ Connection, Too for Ages 4-15 in Homeless & Domestic Violence Shelters, Group Homes & Other Transitional Living Environments
LOCATION: San Antonio, TX
TIME:
8:30am - 4:30pm
(The
CBSG Program Facilitator Training
is 7 hours of CEUs!)
COST:
$250
per person, one manual included
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We Want to Hear from YOU!
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Have you been facilitating the
CBSG Program
with children and/or youth and have some success stories you would be willing to share?
We would love to hear your stories of the lives you are changing for the better!!
Please email
Sandi McFarland
and you might see your story in a future
Trans4ming News
newsletter!
Please remember to not share specific details or names. A Permission to Print form will be sent to individuals whose stories have been chosen.
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The Trans4m Center | 214.887.0726 | trans4mcenter.org
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STAY CONNECTED
@trans4mcenter
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