Date Night Fiasco

My dear husband asked me on a date. We were fitting this date in-between the arrival of grand-baby number three and his impending knee replacement surgery.

Let’s call it our last hurrah.

I decided in my head that it was going to be a perfect night, and part of it being a perfect night included him driving.

After asking him if he felt he could brave the distance and drive, he happily agreed. Now that I wasn’t driving it would be a real date and my perfect evening was underway.

After spending way too much time getting ready I was good to go for a night on the town…

I mean, a dinner date with hubby, it’s not like we were headed to a night club or anything. Truthfully, I would hate that. Now that I looked like a “princess” or more like a grandma makeover I glided out the door and told my prince I was headed for the car. As I put the garage door code in and the door was opening I heard these fateful words, “Do you have the keys?”

“Ah, no. Don’t you?”

“No. I haven’t driven in a while, you always grab the keys.”

“You don’t have the keys?”

“No.”

We were locked out y’all!

And since we didn’t have any keys we couldn’t drive the car either.

All dressed up and nowhere to go.

Or rather…

All dressed up and stuck…in the garage…and it was cold and rainy. While Mike went around the house seeing if he could break into our own house, I called our pregnant daughter—nine months pregnant FYI.

“Monica, um, Dad and I were on our way out for date night and, well, we locked ourselves out of the house. Can you come unlock the house for us?”

After laughing she said she was on her way.

I was waiting for my husband to return from trying to break into our house when a lady walked up our driveway.

“Hi. My car ran out of gas. Would you have a gas can I can borrow?”

I chuckled, “Funny you would ask me that. My husband and I just locked ourselves out of our house.”

I knew Mike would be able to help her. He had helped many stranded motorists over the years who broke down near our home.

“My husband is trying to break in right now, but he’ll be able to help you.”

Just then Mike appeared and I explained her stranded motorist dilemma. Not only did he have a gas can, he had gas in said gas can, and headed to her car. After filling her car with a gallon of gas she went on her way but not before trying to pay him for the gas and thanking him profusely. And of course he wouldn’t take any money. (He never does. Although, there was one time when a gentleman knocked on our door and wouldn’t leave until Mike took a check for the parts Mike had given him for his car.)

And we went back to waiting for our daughter…

When Monica pulled up she had a smirk on her face like we had just been caught with our hands in a cookie jar. She rolled down her car window with her baby belly inches from the steering wheel; and I could tell she was enjoying this way more than she should have been.

How often do you get to save your parents?

Together we had a good laugh. Her enjoyment of the situation was almost worth getting locked out.

Helping the stranded motorist was definitely worth getting locked out.

And we were off for what did become our perfect date.

A few lessons…

-Always make sure your kids have a key.

-Know God is working even in the “mistakes.”

-Look for the good in everything.

-Don’t allow faux pas to ruin what could turn into something perfect.

And my biggest lesson…    

I was reminded of what a great man I have who loves others and helps others. He saved the day for a stranger and I am the luckiest woman in the world that he does that for me over and over and I get to do life with him.

Look for the good in your beloved and turn every day into a day you appreciate them.

Fondly,

Lu

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