By: Joya Williams

Ever have one of those days?

You know, when everything starts off so well that you should have known that something crappy was about to happen???

The kids were amazing this morning. No resistance (at least not much) to getting up and ready for school and daycare. Breakfast was eaten, pants, coats and boots on; without me having to repeat instructions for the third time.

I actually had to congratulate them on such a successful morning as we all got into the car and drove to the designated stop for Diva girl’s school bus.  The weather experts had called for freezing rain but it hadn’t started yet. The bus was on time and the Diva even graced us with a wave as she drove off with all of the other ‘grade 1-ers’ from her school.

Now, I was back in the car with Baby girl, ready for the short drive to daycare. What a great morning! I might actually be on time for work…or at least not as late as usual! Yay for me! With Baby girl singing in her car seat, I turn the key in the ignition…

Nothing!

Not even that annoying choking sound.

The car just up and died. Drove right into the light without as much as a “See you later…”

SERIOUSLY???

At this time, I did what most people would do (I mean me…); I sat and stared at the dashboard with that stupefied look that people (I mean me…) get when something unexpected happens to mess with the flow of their day.

“Mommy, I don’t think your car is working” says my Baby girl. I withhold my sarcasm since she is only 3 years old and simply stating the obvious.

What to do now? Well, I have to get the little one to daycare first. Thank goodness it’s only a 10 minute walk.

Oh but guess what? The freezing rain has started. Thanks Mother Nature…I owe you one.

Literally staring out the window as the rain pelts the car and listening to my daughter engage in a one child dialogue, I feel frustrated and upset, but who has time for that right now?

“Okay sweetie, looks like we have to walk today”

“Okay Mommy, good thing I have my princess umbrella”

Lesson 1: Leave it to a child to find the bright side even on a gloomy day.

So we slip and slide along the sidewalk. I have a tight grip on Baby girl’s left arm as she holds her umbrella with the right one and proceeds to lose her footing several times.

“Good thing you were holding me that time!”

Yup…good thing.

Some spots were even icy and had puddles that were really deep. So we made a game of lifting her up and over them.

“Wee-eeee! Mommy I’m flying!”

I must admit, I was having fun at this point. We were so busy laughing all the way to her daycare; I didn’t have time to worry about the car.

Lesson 2: Any time with your kids is precious, even in the rain.

There’s nothing like a child’s perspective to brighten your day. All that cuteness in one little package reminded me that things really weren’t that bad. Both kids were safely dropped off and at some point I would make it to work. The car would get fixed and that was that.

So as I waited in the car for CAA, I took time to appreciate the experience I had with my youngest today. Instead of just complaining, I had chosen to find the silver lining.

But I will be honest though…

I was going to need all the silver I could get once the mechanic was through with my car!

Joya Williams is a working mother of 2 beautiful little girls. She loves to write and currently blogs about her life as a mom at Supermom Doesn’t Live Here. She has also just started a gift basket business called LIFE HAPPENS GIFT BAGS & BASKETS where her aim is to make people laugh on those occasions that aren’t normally celebrated.