Leveled...

Once upon a time there was a Mom who wanted to relive a beautiful childhood memory with her family. She thought about it all day, imagining every last little detail perfectly in her mind even down to visions of walking hand in hand with her handsome husband and her children blissfully skipping down the sidewalk in front of them excitedly racing towards the playground that she, herself, had played at as a little girl.

She counted down the minutes to 5 o'clock. As soon as her husband logged off his computer they'd be off, smiles and anticipation already packed and ready to go.

The clock ticked 5 PM and though the anticipation and excitement was packed- that, unfortunately, was all that was ready to go. Her dog needed to be fed and let out, her kids needed to be corralled from racing around the house and the babies diaper bag was lacking the essentials. Still... her glorious plans would not be hampered!

Her family managed to get buckled safely in the van and (eventually) they were on their way.

(Yes, that's the family right up above. Not, of course, buckling themselves into the van- but at the daughters piano recital the week before.)

Though delayed, she was still hopeful! They would soon arrive at the pizza place by the beautiful lake her Daddy had taken her to countless times during summers of her childhood. They'd eat pizza, drink pop from a bottomless pitcher and then walk just as she'd planned (parents holding hands, kids skipping with glee) along the shore until they reached the playground where they'd swing their kids and watch them slide until the sun sprayed golden across the water.

The drive seemed to take forever. Everyone was hungry. Tired. Crabby. She tried desperately to subdue everyone with mantras of "2 more minutes" for the last 12 minutes of the trip.  

As the family rounded the corner anticipation was built up- "we're almost there, guys!"

And then...

They WERE THERE!

The pizza place, however, was not.
It had been leveled!
There was nothing there but flat, black freshly laid rock.

Images of pizza and pop and everyone (in slow motion) throwing their heads back laughing at each others silly stories over dinner were being replaced by the real sounds of kids whining, the baby's hungry cries growing louder and the Dad's frustration at the crowded streets (The Mom might have even heard a few "moron!" (s) muttered under the Dad's breath as they tried to navigate their way through jammed traffic and oblivious pedestrians crossing the road).

Where would they eat? More importantly- WHEN would they eat? The Mom (so adept at planning) had made no Plan B. Dad turned the corner and kept driving, the kids kept complaining and the baby kept crying.

The family continued on down the road. The Mom was sure the night was ruined. She told the Dad he might as well drive back home. If home had been closer than 30 minutes away, perhaps that's what he would have done.

But they ended up at another pizza place - (15 miles) down the road and the Mom found a coupon to boot. Said pizza place even had outdoor seating... things were looking up.

Family ate and left and remembered a fabulous park just down the street from the pizza place.

Turns out, kids were skipping after all!

Heads were throwing back with childhood delight.

Mom's vision of her babies in swings were coming to pass. Different swing- same delightful giggle. Music to her ears...
 

They were having fun.

FUN!

So they weren't at the park at the lake. But they did make it to a park. And the kids were happy and swinging. And the parents even did hold hands, when their hands weren't busy holding their babies.

Though the Mom had thought her plans- like the pizza place building- had been completely leveled, it turns out the new journey they ended up on was just as good...

... if not better.

And the Mom was reminded, once again, that it's not about how well your "plans" turn out - it's how you play the hand you're dealt.

And that even when we think our plans - all these glorious plans we love to make- have been leveled... there is beauty, joy and unique treasure to be found in places we never, originally, "planned" to look.