Peace in Traffic

“And this too shall pass,”

2 Corinthians 4: 17-18

Today we journeyed to Long Island for a visit with the grandparents. Getting there is usually our least favorite part of the adventure. For this little lover of peace, finding the solace in a traffic jam is a real test of patience and determination.

I plan ahead. I pack food and toys. But not everything can be anticipated.

Like the need to poop when there is virtually no where to pull over. No shoulder. No exit. No rest stop. So LM3, now aged 3 and perfectly potty trained, was put to the test, too.

Our long car ride was an opportunity to practice peace. I kept my cool. So did Hubs. When we got agitated by cars cutting us off, or failure to allow for a simple merge, we whispered our frustration.

“Hot tamales, that was terrible!”

“Biscuits and gravy! Did you see that?”

“Sweet Mary and Joseph, why did she do that??”

When the guy cursed at us to “hurry the f$&@ up” when we finally found a Panera, I breathed and smiled. I remembered that adding my own agitated energy would not serve any of us. And I wondered what was so terrible to make that guy so angry.

Golly, it was tough to find peace.

So we played DJ and picked songs from the 90s to sing in the car. We played 20 Questions. We sat in silence a few times and stared at the road ahead. I thought of Eckhart Tolle and told myself that “this too shall pass.” Then the road opened up.

Thanks to our timing, we reached the end of the Long Island expressway just as the sun started to set. So we got rainbows. Nothing but treetops and rainbows. And then we were grateful.

Finally, that familiar house became visible, where hot food was cooking and where everyone could pee in a different bathroom, far away from each other. And keeping the peace felt very worth it.

What has brought you peace this week? Share your thoughts and ideas!