Where I was this morning, the roads weren’t great.

Still partially frozen from the snow and freezing rain the night before – my route to work looked like a poorly planned quilt stitched together with patches of ice, puddles, and leftover snow tracks.

As I was approaching a red light with three cars already stopped in front of it, I pressed on the brake and it kicked back.  The pedal continued to kick back and I began to head straight for the stopped cars.  Having no breaks and starting to really skid, I crossed the yellow lines into the other lane and miraculously – at the height of the morning commute – there was no oncoming traffic.

The skid and I continued out from the wrong lane and onto a one-way, going the wrong way.

Miraculously, no one was traveling in the right direction.

Finally, the brakes came back and I made it safely into a Walgreen’s parking lot.  I put the car in park, turned off the radio, and noticed the yellow legal pad on the passenger’s seat and a pen in the center console.

I made a list.

Today…

1. I am grateful for the skid and the grace of a missed accident.
2. I am grateful for the busy, racing mind and the challenge to quiet it.
3. I am grateful for the questions and my unquenchable thirst for answers.
4. I am grateful for the pain in my right shoulder and it’s command to breathe.
5. I am grateful for the longing to work for myself.
6. I am grateful for this pad and this pen being here, right now.
7. I am grateful for giving myself permission to stop.
8. I am grateful for the sore throat and the recognition that it needs to heal.
9. I am grateful for the new car and the attention I need to give it.
10. I am grateful for forgiveness and the chances to start again.

Everything on my list wasn’t directly related to the almost accident, none them were planned, and most of them weren’t even complete thoughts.

But, all of them did make me feel better.

And, I think that may have been the point.