pErSpEcTiVe

Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. This week I started planning my trip to Africa. From the first phone call, I realized I was in for a bumpy ride. Because I'm using miles and also traveling with friends, it has become quite a debacle--which has completely stressed me out. Trying to coordinate with a girl that lives on the other side of the world (and doesn't have the internet) AND try and get a similar (if not same) flight pattern with a friend in D.C. is not the funnest experience. Add this to my uber-organized persona and you have the recipe for disaster one grumpy me.

This stress has somewhat mounted as on several occasions this week I received disheartening emails from people close to me. I found out that my best friend from high school's father (dearest Chetaham) had been in the hospital for a week while they try and figure out why he's having stroke-like symptoms. Then, I got an email from my sister-in-law asking the family to fast for my pint-sized (really, she wears 6-month old clothes) one-year old niece who is scheduled for surgery this Tuesday.... and then I got an email from my good friend in D.C. asking us to fast for her mom who, last I knew, had been studying French in the MTC. One day her mom and dad were preparing for their mission to Brussels when, in an instant that plan changed. My friend dropped work, dropped school and got on the first plane to Utah in order to be with her family as her mom fights for her life.

I've had her, my friend's dad and my niece in my thoughts and prayers all week while trying to hit magazine deadlines and prepare for our convention in Las Vegas. In other words, I've been pretty high strung. Well, today I gratefully got a helping of perspective. Today at 9pm was my last chance to either buy my ticket to Africa or lose it. I called one more time to try and get on a similar flight as my friend and it wasn't happening (it didn't help that I could barely understand dear Raj on the other end). I hung up the phone in sheer frustration and just sat there.

A few seconds after I had hung up, my friend (currently in Utah) sent me a message on gchat asking if, as my status indicated, I was really busy. In an instant we were chatting in my effort to find out how her mom was but also give her some distraction from the weight she's been carrying all week. Several minutes later she had to leave to go back to the hospital and we said our goodbyes. After my friend logged off, I had an inner monologue moment, "Melinda, what's your problem? Africa? Seriously? You're stressed about Africa? Some way or another you'll get there, there are much more important things to be worrying (or not) about." I shut my laptop, got on my knees and put my life back in perspective.