The power of losing

[caption id="attachment_692" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Patrick, Susan, Kip"][/caption]

Last weekend, Ben & I went to New York City as a surprise to celebrate my sister's 40th birthday.   Following is the story of our departure from that glorious, magical weekend. 

When we arrived for check-in, the woman behind the counter informed me that there had been a lot of delays due to weather.  She began feverishly trying to figure out a way to get me home before 11pm.  This woman tried everything she could think of, including switching me to another airline, but nothing was lining up.  She was so disappointed at this that not only did she not charge us for checking in our bag (now a $15 fee per bag),

[caption id="attachment_699" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Kippy, Ben, & I"][/caption]

but she gave us vouchers for dinner AND she put us in business class seats (right after First Class).  I hadn't yelled or screamed or raised my voice, I just kept telling her how much I appreciated her efforts.  There were a lot of disgruntled passengers waiting in the gate and it did not look as if they had been bumped up to business class.  Like I've said before, and I'll say it again, you get more bees with honey (see blog "You get more bees with honey"). 

Ben & I arrived at our gate because the departure time at that point was tenuous.  As Ben sat and watched a movie and ate a pretzel, a little 4-year-old Indian girl approached us to

[caption id="attachment_700" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ben liked airports at a very early age. Shown here, Madison Airport."][/caption]

see what Ben was viewing.  She was so beautiful, with the biggest brown eyes, when you looked into them you felt as if you could see the world.  This girl was so full of personality and spunk, I think she may be president some day.  She talked to us (me) nonstop for about 45 minutes.  Quite suddenly it seemed, we were boarding the plane to Detroit. 

When we arrived in Detroit it was either 6 or 7pm and I had that suddenly sinking feeling that there was no way I was going to make it until 10:30pm when our flight departed Detroit.  I thought, what I need is a Green Tea Latte (paid for by a birthday gift certificate I'd received from Tiara Coaching Program!) to perk me right up and make me feel all happy and confident again.  But before that

[caption id="attachment_701" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Riding the elevator on a previous New York City trip."][/caption]

what I really needed was a cart to help me carry the car seat, 2 backpacks (1 for me, 1 for Ben), coats, and purse.  We walked across a moving walk way and I looked up and there was a cart holder, renting carts for a mere $3.  Of course, we jumped on that offer and were racing to Starbucks, where the Green Tea Latte, did in fact, cure me.

The amazing thing was that Ben & I had an absolutely wonderful time at the Detroit airport, it was our own personal FREE theme park for the evening.  We rode the terminal train back and forth numerous times.  We sat down and had pizza for dinner while his dinosaurs and lizards at leaves from the surrounding plants.  We rode the moving walk ways and escalators.  Then when we started to get tired, around 9pm, we sat

[caption id="attachment_703" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Even the trash cans at the airport are fascinating."][/caption]

down near our terminal, plugged our portable DVD player (the greatest invention for making our travels super easy) and watched a movie.  Never once did Ben complain of wanting to go home or that he was ready to go or that he was tired of waiting.  He was a real little trooper, that guy. 

Before we boarded the plane, I was getting everything packed back up and realized I didn't have one of Ben's favorite toys, a black lizard with orange polka dots or my cell phone.  I raced back to the bathroom where I thought I had left my phone.  It wasn't there.  I asked the cleaning people who were working in the area.  No one had seen it.  The woman who had been in the

[caption id="attachment_704" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Oh, those Ben snuggles!"][/caption]

bathroom prior to my search tried to call my phone to see if we could hear it ring.  No such luck.  At this point, I needed to get on the plane.  Before I entered the walkway, (is that what you call the area between the gate and the plane, the walkway?)  I asked our ticket taker if she could check and see if a phone had been found.  She was going to call around and see. 

I boarded the plane and got Ben all set up in his carseat and waited, hoping that my name would be called over the loud speakers to come pick up my phone.  I imagined myself jumping for joy at the return of my errant phone.  Didn't happen. 

[caption id="attachment_705" align="alignright" width="300" caption="A not so pleasant airplane moment from a previous trip..."][/caption]

But, as I sat there waiting for the plane to take off, I began thinking of how wonderful it would be to have my phone back, how I truly believe that people want to be helpful and that I would be amazed at how my phone was returned to me.  It was going to be a story to tell (or blog about).  And on the other hand, if I didn't get my phone back, my world would not end.  There were other phones out there (they might not be pink, like mine, however.)

We took off and Ben and I had a great time watching the other planes, the clouds, the air traffic control tower, trucks.  Then we talked and watched more movies.  Five minutes before we landed, Ben fell asleep.  He was in his carseat, so I requested a wheelchair to wheel him in his carseat out to the car or taxi.  I called Thom on a pay phone on the way to baggage claim.  I realized that I was completely out of touch with how to use this piece of machinery.  I picked up the phone and began to put my nickels and dimes in (it costs 50 cents now).  But before I could put all of my money in, a pleasant voice would inform me if I wanted to make a call, I should hang up and try again.  I would not be deterred.  Finally, Thom picked up and informed me that Ellie was in fact asleep and he would be unable to do a pick up.  Ben & I headed for baggage claim where our bags had already been taken off the baggage corral.  A nice, helpful gentleman from one of the car rental places helped me get my suitcase out to the taxi stand so that I could push Ben in the wheel chair.

Seriously, it was one of the most amazing days.  Whenever I thought about something I wanted, I looked up and there it was.  It was as if I had a magic wand to make whatever I wanted appear before my eyes. 

[caption id="attachment_710" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The photo Ben took of his lizard, little did he know this would be his last."][/caption]

Last night, Thom came upstairs to inform me that someone had found my phone and they were sending it back to us and they didn't even want us to send money for postage.  Amazing.  Imagine how much more I will appreciate my pink phone and its little holster when it is returned than before I lost it.  That's the power of losing something.

Oh, by the way, the black lizard with orange polka dots is still at large.  Probably at the airport eating leaves still.  If anyone out there spots it will you please return it to us?