This weekend we received a not so subtle reminder to slow down. On Saturday we were on a mission. With summer nearing an end, and still many things on our to-do list, we were going to do a fundraiser walk at our favorite park, followed by a hike at a place we’ve been meaning to visit for a long time. We had planned for a very busy day, and yet it ended up being quite the opposite.
As Mom quickly responded to a few messages on social media, Dad got the car ready for our adventure. There was a palpable feeling of excitement in the air as we all prepared. Dad hollered upstairs, “Are you ready?” Mom rushed downstairs to quickly pack our picnic basket. Proof that this was going to be a long and exciting day. Meanwhile Dad tried to tie our bandanas on us, while Asa and I spun in circles, jumped and raced back and forth to the door in anticipation.
Then everything came to a sudden halt. For some unexplainable reason the power went out, trapping the car on the wrong side of the garage door. The previous night’s storm was long gone. The sun was shining bright. So we couldn’t even blame Mother Nature for this sudden loss of electricity.
Still fueled by the momentum of the moment, Dad proclaimed, “I’ll get the generator hooked up, so I can get the car out of the garage, then we can go!” Mom agreed, while she continued to get a few last minute items ready for our adventure. Realizing there was some sort of delay, I began barking my displeasure. We should be on the road by now! Asa, oblivious as usual, happily followed Mom around the kitchen.
What was taking Dad so long? I held my breath from my panting as I waited for the sound of the generator. Mom must have been thinking the same thing as me, because I heard her say out loud, “Dad must be filling the generator up with gas.” Mom’s hurried pace began to slow down. Asa curled up for a quick nap under the kitchen table, while I whimpered in disbelief. What are we waiting for? We have a schedule to keep!
Finally we heard the hum of the generator. However, instead of opening the garage door to move the car for our adventure, Dad had a different thought. “What if all this is happening for a reason? Maybe we are meant to slow down and stay home today?” Mom paused, then agreed, “it had been a busy week, and maybe we should just relax today and not run around at a breakneck speed?” Could Dad and Mom be right for once? We were going at a hurried pace, focused on checking off things on our summer to-do list. But were we doing it because we wanted to, or was it because we thought we had to do it? Perhaps this unexpected power outage was a good thing after all? A much needed reminder to slow down and just enjoy being together as a family.
So with that we took our fundraiser walk in our neighborhood. Since everyone was without power, many were out in their yards. Therefore, we were able to achieve our goal telling people about the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. But now it was to our neighborhood friends, who would understand how important this walk was, instead of to strangers. Then we settled in our yard and ate the picnic Mom packed for our adventure, while just enjoying a quiet day at home together as a family. A good reminder that life doesn’t have to go as planned to be perfectly wonderful. It is good to slow down.
