Being Calm

Today's gift is being calm.

My gift today is one of those gifts which is actually given to me almost every day by my daughter.  There are so many different situations we put her in (some stressful, some not) where she is so calm.   When she is calm in a stressful situation I am always most impressed and wish sometimes it would rub off on me.

Well, today probably for one of the first times her gift of being calm, did rub off on me.  And I didn't realize it until long after it happened.

This afternoon I was trying to get in a quick manicure as my nails really needed it.  Little did I know that after my 45 minutes of relaxation, I would be a "little" stressed for the next hour or so.  Right at the end of my manicure a man walked into the salon (no hold-ups!) and asked if anyone in the salon drove a black SUV.  I said, "I do".  To which he then explained he "clipped the tire and there is a little scratch on the side, but nothing that can't be wiped off".  He then went on to point to the shirt he was wearing noting the name of his company.  He was very quick and out the door.

First, I was shocked.  Second, I trusted him as he actually came in to find the person whose car he hit.  Third, being alone, I didn't want to go out to the car and talk it over with him before he left (you never know in today's world).  And fourth, as soon as he left, I took a picture of his work truck leaving, how close he was to my car and got the license plate.

Little did I know someone else was taking pictures the whole time too!

After he pulled away another man started walking around my car....actually inspecting it.  So I talked to him (he happened to be a doctor in the office two store fronts down) in front of the salon and he witnessed the whole thing! He was taking pictures as he assumed the guy did a hit and run.

I asked him if it was just a scratch, like the guy said it was and he said, "not unless you call a scratch a dent.  Your car actually moved when he hit it".  Okay....this is where I would have normally become really upset.  But I didn't.  I was extremely calm.  I wasn't even mad!

I got into my car, called my husband to let him know I was going over to the business of where the van was from (in the area I was already in) and to have him be on call in case I needed him.  I was there in less than 5 minutes.  The van wasn't in the parking lot, which meant they probably had no idea what happened.  I was correct.

I walked into the store, asked for the manager, got the owner and told him what happened.  Again through it all I was very calm.  I actually even said many times as he was apologizing to me that accidents happen and how I was happy he actually came to find the person whose car he hit.  The owner wasn't too happy with his employee, but was very pleasant with me.

I got his insurance information and gave him my name and number.  As soon as I walked into the door at home, his insurance agent was on the phone and everything moved along smoothly.  I have an appointment tomorrow at the body shop for them to look at my car to see how long it will take to fix the passenger door and the quarter panel.  Not only do I have an appointment, but the body shop which their insurance carrier uses is the place I get my car serviced.  And they will give me a loaner car....a car just like mine!

While it was a process when I got home (total phone time talking to everyone was 1.5 hours) everything went way better than I expected.  It was at this point, that I realized how calm I had been.  I never raised my voice, I never got upset, I was just calm.  It was refreshing.

It was also at this time that I realized my daughter's gifts she gives to me go further than the day she gave me the gift.  The gifts are always there.  They are there when I need them for strength, support, love, to laugh, to cry, to reflect, for comfort, or just a memory to make me smile.  The gifts are there for me from her to use in my life wherever and whenever I need them.

Her gifts are life changing and are gifts which keep on giving.

Here are two quotes for today....

Positive things happen to positive people- Author Unknown

You create your own calm- Author Unknown







© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved
365 Days Gift