My Very Bad, Horrible Day

My Very Bad, Horrible Day

You know that children’s book that everyone reads when they are young called, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”? I think we can all relate to that book so well, because we have all had at least one day where it seems like everything that can go wrong does. The kind that makes you just want to check out, go back to bed and start over after several hours of hiding.

My life has recently been turned upside down by learning how to be a single mother to my four-year-old son, after a long litigation process and divorce. The only way to describe how I seem to get through it, is to take it step by step, day by day and to try my very best to find the silver lining in everything. I felt I was okay, but then I had one of those days that would have put Alexander’s day to shame.

I guess it started out like any other day, with a big cup of coffee and a child that needs help with everything before you can concentrate on getting yourself ready. It was raining, which normally in Texas is means for celebration, but the ground was long past soaked and was starting to become a flood. My son was very excited to jump in the puddles on the way to my parking spot, despite the fact that he wasn’t wearing the correct puddle-jumping shoes. Great. He’s already soaking wet and hasn’t even gotten to daycare yet.

I got him dropped off in the nick of time and turned to rush off to my first appointment of the day: the dentist. Just a couple stoplights away from the dentist’s office, my brakes decided that the rain was just too much to handle, and didn’t grab. I lurched very slowly, but continuously forward… right into the hitch of the Yukon in front of me, which was waiting at the red light. I saw her glance at me in her side view mirror and throw her hand up in the air. Trust me lady, I feel the same way. It’s not like I wanted to get out and stand in the rain and take pictures of our vehicles. Fortunately, everyone was fine, but it added an additional amount of stress, adrenaline and wasted time to my already busy morning. Needless to say, I was late for my dentist appointment and they had to inform me that they needed to reschedule and charge me for the missed slot – despite my call ahead and extenuating circumstances.

I’ll fast forward through my frustrations of the work day and having clients not show up, because although it was frustrating, the weight of the day hadn’t hit until I had gotten home again for the evening. My little boy in the backseat was hungry and far past meltdown mode. I was tired and so drained from the day as well. I was frustrated and anxious about doing whatever I had to do quickly, so that I could just get. him. to. bed. And then- it happened.

I stepped out of the car and turned to open the back door, when PLOP, my uncased and very much relied upon iPhone flew from my pocket and landed in what could only be described as a river, flowing on the pavement parking lot. No, no, no! I frantically picked it up out of the water and looked at it. The glass screen had cracked and water was dripping out of it like a broken aquarium. Needless to say, the screen was black. I cursed. What was I supposed to do now? I hardly have any money to pay rent, let alone buy a brand-new phone. Thankfully, I had backed it up not long ago so at least I still had my pictures and data that had been saved on it.

I held back tears of panic and disappointment while I led little man into the home from the car. Sometimes, it’s just very hard to feel like everything is going to be okay. And on days like this, there are just a few people in your life that you can call up and cry to. And now, I didn’t even have that option.

I soaked my iPhone in dry rice, but there was no denying the shattered screen and visible water in it. It was dead. After getting everyone fed and bathed and in bed (and wine poured), I sat down at my computer and pondered what to do next. It didn’t take too long really before I found a sense of hope. I came across a website, iGotOffer that offered to buy my perfectly broken and shattered phone for money. That in and of itself is hard to find, but not only were they willing to pay for my broken iPhone, but the little questionnaire was easy to fill out and the offer was easy to accept. I printed the prepaid shipping label and packed my phone up for them to deal with.

The silly little piece of broken glass taught me something that night. It showed me that I can handle myself. I had relied on my ex in the past to handle my emergencies and comfort me while doing so, and now that option was no longer there. I’m not going to lie, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to handle the small and big issues of life by myself. But I did. And not only was it easy, but I managed to make a little bit of money back in order to be able to order a new phone. It might seem trivial, this decision to sell an electronic; except to me it was one tiny step towards a new and independent life. If I can find the silver lining in that kind of day, then I can surely tackle the world, with my new (cased and waterproof) iPhone in hand!

On the photo: Mother Jamie and her son, Matt- still smiling and staying positive despite a very bad, horrible, rainy day.