Saturday was full of shooting workout and exercise videos, which is definitely Dan the Man and Coach Coley's thing. I was the fill-in when they needed someone to demonstrate on, and I also did a lot of filming.
When we got out of the car we exited one way, and we got back in the car, we got in another way. Not to mention, that I had gotten chilly, so sweet Dan grabbed the keys from Coley and got into the car quickly with me. So when we got back in Coley's tall 4Runner, Dan totally didn't even notice the stuff sitting on top of the car, nor did Coley or myself.
We drove out of the park and onto the main streets. (You would think the stuff would have fallen off the car right when we started driving out of the park, but somehow it held on and waited for someone to be around to see it fall!)
All of a sudden, this taxi driver with his window rolled down, trying to get our attention, says, "A book just fell off your car and is in the middle of the street!"
We're like, "Huh?!"
Realizing it was the day planner, we make a u-turn, Dan goes running out of the car, down the median and scoops up the leather-bound planner which is in pretty perfect condition. Note- his Jury Summons for tomorrow was tucked in a pocket and had flown loose, but he retrieved it! So far, so good!
He gets in the car, we're all trying to put the pieces together, when he says, "Where's my phone?" I quickly call it, no answer. I say, "Was it with the planner?!"
We make another u-turn and spot it on the same side of the road where the planner was. Daniel runs like lightning across the street. As he goes to pick it up, it's face down, so he's praying, "Please be okay!!" Coley and I are in the car saying the same prayer. He comes back to the car, flips over the face and it is smashed to smitherines! Yikes!
We had just finished shooting a few hours of footage on that phone and now it's all gone. BUT, at least we got the day planner back and the taxi driver called our attention to all of it flying off the car, because can you imagine how confused we'd be if we got home and the planner and phone were just not there?! We had been to several different parks, so we would have no idea where to begin our search.
The wonderful news and lesson I took away from all of this is that no one got upset, and it made everything SO much better! When you take a deep breath and think about it, what good would come out of making a fuss or trying to point fingers? Why make anyone feel worse than they already do when a mistake happens? It only makes the situation worse for everyone involved, including yourself. And what is anger anyway? Isn't it a lack of faith that every thing is going to be okay? If you can remain calm and find the good in the situation, you will inevitably come out on top.
Sure iPhone 4's aren't cheap. But you know what's more costly? Scaring your spouse, best friend, family member, etc. with harsh words. They will always think of you reacting in that mean way... and is that the type of perspective you want them to have of you when the going gets tough? Daniel is amazing at never kicking me when I'm down, and it makes me so much more comfortable with him all together. If I get upset at a mistake I make, he's right there to say, "It's okay, babe, here's how we'll fix it."
And sure, we lost a few hours of footage that hadn't been uploaded from that phone yet, but we hadn't lost each other, so we could do it all again. And, I'm sure we needed the practice, anyway!
Later that night, Daniel and I headed down to Atlantic Ave on Delray Beach for a little date night. We had a lovely romantic dinner, sharing a great chopped salad and delicious sea bass at Prime. Then we went for a walk, got a cup of coffee, nibbled on some chocolates and went into a few shops. It was absolutely perfect.
My sweet Daniel must have kissed my hand and whispered into my ear ten times thanking me for the way I handled the phone situation. It wasn't about me... it was about how he still felt like he had his best buddy right there with him while it was happening. He knew I was on his side and that making him feel good about the situation, was the focus, not worrying about what ifs.
As I laid in bed that night, it really sunk in. There was no gift I could have given Daniel for Valentine's Day that would have been greater than simple kindness, love and understanding in everyday situations that we had experienced that day. So from our weekend away, I am bringing back with me gentle kindness at all times.
"Serenity. Why lose your temper if by losing it you offend God, you trouble your neighbor, you give yourself a bad time... and in the end you have to set things aright anyway?"
- St. Josemaria Escriva
With love,
Luna