Thankful #3. Laptops. (Even when they suck).

This morning, as I went to plug my dying MacBook in for a day of work, I noticed that the charging light failed to turn on.

Yup, the charger was shot.

I took a few deep breaths. I tried again. Nothing.

This wouldn't have been so much of a problem if the second half of my thesis wasn't due this upcoming week. Or if I didn't totally rely on a working computer for almost everything related to my academic career.

I called Jules in a panic, just like I always do when something happens. It doesn't matter that she's three hours away on the Cape, and can do very little to help me from there. Calling Mom just always feels like the right thing to do. If nothing else, she's still forced to love me while I have a breakdown.

As an aside, I should be very thankful; I have had my computer for almost 3.5 years now, and this is the very first time I've ever had a problem with any part of it. And it's just the charger, not the computer itself. But a few hours have passed since that initial phone call; I certainly wasn't filled with optimistic thoughts at the time.

"Mom-my-charger-died-and-I-have-my-thesis-due-and-now-I-have-to-drive-to-the-mall-to-the-Apple-store-and-just-why-did-this-happen-nowwwww!" My voice was wobbling.

Jules was so sympathetic. She always says just the right words to calm me down. After I was done sniffling, she started with, "Hunny, when you are an adult, sometimes things malfunction at inopportune times. Like a car. Or even the furnace."

"BUT I HAVE A PAPER DUE AND THIS IS HIGH STAKES!" I exclaim.

.....Yeah. Bratty, right?

I think we're all guilty of occasionally overreacting to situations. I certainly am. It could have been so much worse. This could have happened during a school day, when I couldn't afford to drive a half hour to the Holyoke mall to buy a new charger. It could have been my whole computer. This could have happened during the hurricane, and not on a beautiful day. Yeah, it set me back eighty bucks...but I have so much to be thankful for.

When we're stressed, it is tough to focus on the positive. But after I calmed down and was driving home with a new charger in a bag on my front seat (heck, I was even able to pop into a few stores)  I could really reflect. Reflect on how blessed I am to even have a computer. Which then encouraged thoughts of how blessed I am to be able to go to school and receive an education. I bet ninety-nine percent of young adults my age throughout the world cannot say the same.

So I'll take a crapped out charger if it gives me a eureka moment of thankfulness. And now, I'll settle down and work.