Batteries and Miracles

Image of the Aztec Rain God,Tlaloc

The other day, I drove the 1998 Oldsmobile I inherited from my father down the hill to have the battery checked out. My son, Nick, usually drives this car, but because it had been dead in our driveway two mornings in a row, to avoid one of those distress calls that only comes at the most inconvenient of times, I thought I'd be proactive. While one the one hand I thought the battery was old and probably need to be replace, on the other hand, I thought Nick might have left the lights on while he was talking on his cell phone--although he assured me he hadn't.

Rain had been predicted and it was sprinkling when I left my driveway. Five minutes later, I pulled into the Auto Zone. A sign on the wall says they'll check your batter for free, and a few minutes later the guy told me the battery was bad. I went inside and paid for a new one, and carried it out to the car. I might not know how to install a battery--I'm ashamed to say that I come from the era where cars are "men's work"--,but after all the time I spend at the gym, I'm definitely strong enough to carry one out to the car. I figured I'd take it home along with some chocolate and cajole my husband or my son into installing it.

Apparently, I'd purchased the new batter just in time because the car wouldn't start. If you've been following my blog you know I've been here before...I walked back inside, hoping the kid behind the counter would take pity on me and perhaps install the new one so I could drive home, but instead he said, "I'm not allowed to touch your car, but I can give you some tools so you can do it yourself."

It's not like I have a French manicure or anything, but I must have had that you've got to be kidding look on my face because he added, "I'll try to talk you through it." It's moments like this that test my faith and make me wonder if there really is a god or a force that unites us all. Here I am, trying to be a nice mom and now, I'm going to have to install a battery in the rain. But being a positive person I decided to expect a miracle.

I had just popped open the hood when I noticed a white Chevy pull in to the space next to mine. A tall, meaty looking blond kid stepped out from behind the driver's seat accompanied by a guy who had a pierced eyebrow and lip ring. "Hey, I know you," I said to the driver, who I was almost certain had attended the same high school as Nick. Didn't you go to Bitney?"

The kid nodded yes. "I'm Big Cody," He said and this is my friend, Colin. We both went there. You're Nick's Mom aren't you?" The sales clerk who was going to walk me through the installation process had already left to help another customer.

While Cody walked in to the store, Colin, stepped closer and asked, "What are you doing?

I picked up the wrench and reached down to loosen one of the bolts, but it wouldn't budge. "My battery died and I'm trying to install a new one."

"I know all about cars if you want some help."

For a moment, I was certain I saw a halo hover over his head. Without hesitation, I handed Colin the tools, and stepped back to admire his work. Five minutes later the engine started right up and I was heading home, awed by the miracle provided by another rainy day.

The Power of Attraction

I was just downloading pictures I'd forgotten about and came across this one of our cat, Obi, who spends most of his time on the couch in my office. Underneath all the fur is a very small cat.

...a few more thoughts about yesterday and the rain. In the afternoon, we were stir-crazy from the rain so my daughter and I went to run a few errands. Our first stop was the bank. Because it was pouring, she opted to stay inside the car and listen to the CD of "Cake" while I went in to get some cash. Of course I left the lights on and when I returned five minutes later...guess what...the battery was dead. "Oh shit!" I said, and then I looked at my daughter and we both burst out laughing. My daughter reminded me that we had jumper cables in the trunk so all I had to do was find the owner of the big SUV parked in the stall next to us and hope they would help out. As soon as I started asking for assistance, two young guys who were sitting with the bank manager said they'd give me a jump as they were done. They weren't driving the SUV and their van was on the other side of the lot, but somehow they'd get my car started.

So, I went back to the car and practiced the patience training I learned when my family and I took Kuk Sool Won, a Korean Martial Art. A minute later, a woman, who appeared to be in a rush, entered the SUV and pulled away. Good, I thought. Now, there will be a place for the van. To prevent another car from slipping in to the empty space, I imagined it was full of bricks. This worked for awhile, but eventually a beat up Ford pulled in. I jumped out of the car and knocked on the window. A young guy in in a dirty t-shirt and jeans rolled down the window and smiled. "Hey, would you mind giving us a jump? We've got cables." Less than a minute later, the engine was running. I ran back into the bank and told the guys we had offered to help that we'd gotten a jump and my daughter and I continued running our errands. Ignition to lift off: less than fifteen minutes.

When I found out my battery was dead, my knee-jerk reaction was to be upset and angry, which would have made the situation worse. Instead, I adjusted my attitude, took some positive action, attracted what I required, and fifteen minutes later I was on the road filled with gratitude, listening to Cake and loving the rain.