Water Damage...

Yesterday, the check engine light went on in my car. Yipes! I thought for sure the car was a done deal.. (yep, I can be a bit dramatic) and I was already planning how I would have to get used to something new, which is a good thing for many, but not for OCD me. My car has magazine racks in both front doors, cup holders, a place for my bag, a place for loose change and a huge trunk for all my park/kid gear and after 10 years it still gets 38 miles to the gallon. I don't like new cars... or new handbags.. or new shoes for that matter. In fact, my whole wardrobe is more of a uniform than what you would call clothes. (I know, I need serious intervention). Anyway, I quickly made a u-turn and went to see Jo at Main Street Oil. Jo diagnosed the problem and had me on my way in 4 minutes.. no charge. I'm a fan of Jo's. Though my heart was pounding as I left the garage, I realized that I didn't wreck the car after all, in fact Jo thinks it's in good shape and I don't need to see him for another thousand miles. Hooray! I dodged that one!
Life can have more drama than you need sometimes and I'm so grateful for our community and our friends for so much help when it was needed. When little c broke her leg riding her scooter, C and I did not witness the accident because c had gone off ahead of us. Kind strangers came to find us and helped us get her, her scooter and helmet into the car. My brother-in-law is our family physician and he has taken exceptional care of her. A good friend of ours has been her wonderful physical therapist and he told her that she could, "fire him!" today because her leg and ankle are now strong enough to heal on their own. This has been a long process and we still have to check to make sure the growth plates are doing their job and all is well next month.
Yesterday, I found that some pipes had broken above the ceiling in the hallway. So, like all of you, there's always something and this is the next thing. The drywall and insulation and who knows what will have to be replaced and repaired. We didn't dodge this one.. it hit. However, I feel pretty zen about it at the moment. This is nothing compared with a broken child. Worse things have before and will happen again in the future I'm sure.
In the end, the house and the car are wonderful things and I do like to keep things "as is" too much sometimes... And so, I suppose if whatever it is that breaks is just a thing.. we ought to simply be grateful. Things can be repaired or replaced, people often can't be repaired and they can never be replaced... a lesson we learn many times over during a lifetime. I've had lots of things repaired and replaced, I know I don't remember even half of them, but we all remember those we've loved and lost. We remember them ... forever.