When Panic Becomes Opportunity

Today, I had a freak-out moment. Big time. If you read this blog, by now you probably know (if you didn't know already) that I love photography. Last night, I did not put my camera away like I usually do. This morning, I had too much stuff in my arms and leaned over to get something, forgetting the old tea in the mug in my arms and the tea went all over the camera on the table. It was traumatic. The camera wouldn't turn back on. I was given the advice to put it in rice to get the liquid out. While hoping that would work, I wandered over to the student center to chat with Bekah and have someone share my woes with me. While there, Marilyn, our chaplain came out of her office and said to me in her ever so nurturing manner that she would not give me sympathy and I needed to put things in perspective. It's not like I lost my eye sight. Then she told me if my camera wasn't working I should draw instead. Marilyn's advice reminded me of this:

About a year ago, my mother accidentally threw away her phone and didn't realize it until too late. My little brother, Nicolas, was about six at the time. My mother was mad and frustrated and short tempered about her negligence and what it was going to cost her when my brother put it all in perspective by saying this, "At least your family didn't die."

Needless to say, my camera is working again. Here's the drawing I did today anyway. It is of Marilyn and a student, Jeremiah, talking over lunch in the student center. I always forget how good it feels to draw. Really good.

If you click on the picture, you can see it in it's full size.