The Hazard Chronicles

It’s crazy how a week can feel like a month sometimes, at least emotionally speaking. This one definitely qualifies. I’ll be honest- it was a little rough…Maybe more than a little. It started with a couple of hard days at work- nothing terribly big, just some difficult (high stakes) cases that are proving to require a little more management than anticipated. On top of that, it appears that our Spring Break plans might not work out. Bummer, but manageable.

But then on Sunday on the way to church, Rachel got in a car accident. And not just a little one. This was the kind where both cars were totaled. A police car, ambulance, and fire truck all showed up.

Thankfully, everyone is okay. Truly. But the car? Her brand new Prius? Little Blue? Gone. Just like that. ALL of our other cars have been having little mechanical problems lately and this was the only truly reliable car we had. Not any more. On top of that, and as long as I’m being honest- having four teenagers can be fun at times but isn’t exactly a walk in the park. In short, all these things were adding up and self-pity was definitely a flavor I was tasting a lot of.

Then, something shifted. We saw two Pulitzer-prize winning plays: "Sweat" and "Rent." Powerful stuff. Stories about people facing real, significant hardships. Hardships that put our week – the work stress, the car, the teenage angst – into a little bit more perspective. It’s not so much about minimizing our struggles, but about recognizing the scale of things. These characters, these stories, they had real problems. Ones that matter a lot more than going from four cars down to three, or missing out on a ski trip. And suddenly, my self-pity felt…well, a little silly. Maybe a lot silly.

That feeling was reinforced around the dinner table. Jackson, because he is a teenager, was complaining about some perceived unfairness. And Maren, because she is also a teenager now, just calmly said, “Obviously life isn’t fair Jackson…and that usually works in your favor.” Boom. Mic drop. That one hit me too. She was right though. Things are often unfair, and by and large, that unfairness benefits us. Perspective.

The weekend brought some much-needed relief. A Super Bowl party with friends, good company, laughter, and lots of junk food. I also got a few days on the slopes, and that feeling of carving through fresh snow, the crisp air, the quiet…it’s restorative. It’s a reminder of the simple joys, made even better by the people you are with.

I started thinking- that car accident, as vexing as it was, could have been so much worse. It could have been a tragedy. But it wasn’t. And as stupid as kids can be, we wouldn’t be US without them in all of their quirky glory. And sure- work is frustrating at times- those very same factors make it extremely gratifying and fulfilling at other times though, and I wouldn’t trade that for hardly anything.

Byron and Amanda are pretty great for hosting the super bowl party every year- it's always a fun time. Also, Addy made a $4 bet with the group and came away with $100- so yeah, we are raising gamblers. Great.

Lindsey and I had a GREAT day at Schweitzer. Sunshine, soft snow, pizza, and campfires. Perfect.

Maren and Rachel had a day alone at Silver. I was at work, Lindsey was sledding with friends, and the older kids were all at a different resort for Ski Club.

The three of us made the walk up to Wardner peak to ski off the back. It always seems longer than it actually is.

So, I’m ending this week on a note of optimism. And gratitude. Gratitude for my family, for our health, for the perspective that sometimes comes from seeing stories of hardship, and for the wisdom of a TEENAGE daughter (Happy Birthday, Maren!). Sometimes, a totaled car is just a reminder of how lucky we really are.

...Even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes (I had to get that in there- I'm still convincing myself)

Addy practicing her moves for the ski park by jumping off the roof of our house. The recent soft snow has really emboldened her to try new things.