SLC

Upside of conflict

Yesterday I flew out to New York for a couple of days to help out with a project that Every Mother Counts is working on. It’s something incredibly bold, and I can’t wait to share the final product with you.

Yesterday at the airport in Salt Lake a man working the security line tried to confiscate all of my cosmetics, ones I have packed in my carry on luggage about 700 times before. The containers don’t say “3 oz” even though they are specifically made for carry on purposes. So he had to escort me back downstairs so that I could check a bag I had packed because it was small enough to carry on. And then I had to go back through the security line. This left me with about five minutes to run to my gate to make it on the plane. When I was finally in my seat, frazzled, sweat dripping down my back I could barely hold in the feeling of abject anger. Airport security is such a joke. If you think they are in any way keeping us safe then you might as well believe that a giant old man in a red velvet suit can fit down your chimney.

Once I calmed down, though, that anger immediately and strangely gave way to a feeling of total appreciation for everything that is simple about my life. I have great kids. They are healthy. I am healthy. I’m surrounded by supportive friends and family, people who have held out their hands to me when I’ve been down. Maybe it was the stark contrast of all that chaos? I don’t know, but I put my head against the window, closed my eyes and cried over how much my life has been distilled into its best, most elementary parts over the last several months. And I’m so damn thankful.