Don't cry over spilled insulin

I woke up this morning with enthusiasm about starting my new blog on Mindfulness and Living Consciously.

My first challenge occurred early in the day. I got out of bed to feed my persistent, yet still adorable, feline companion. My cat Pascal was diagnosed with diabetes about two months ago. Six hundred dollars later (!) I have everything he needs to cope with the illness.

I wander downstairs to the kitchen to ready his insulin shot. Somehow it slips out of my hand and shatters on the floor.

I stare for a moment in disbelief, clean up the mess, and return to my bedroom to get dressed. As I don't own a car I need to walk for an hour to get to/from the drugstore immediately to buy another insulin bottle. I bundle up and head out into the early morning sunshine. The temperature is supposedly -10 degrees, but feels like -20. As I carefully place each step, mindful to avoid slipping on the icy sidewalk, I reflect on this incident.

I have learned by now that the question 'why has this happened to ME?' only leads to a negative despairing attitude. I ask aloud 'what is this for? what am I meant to learn here?'. 

Hmmmm...many thoughts arise, including:

• perhaps I'm meant to meet someone at the drugstore or along the way
• I've been wanting to do more winter walking so here is the perfect opportunity!
• the Universe sure has a sense of humour (I actually smile at this one)
• this could be yet another opportunity to let go to what IS, rather than how I'd like things to be

But the truth is that I don't know what this experience is for, and that's ok. It's yet another lesson (how many are there?!) in trust. Trusting that the Universe has my back and is conspiring for my success (even if it doesn't always feel like it).

$80 later with a new insulin bottle in hand, I arrive back at home to see Pascal lounging in the sunshine, oblivious to this morning's challenge. Ahhhh, to be a cat, without a care in the world, or a thought to what it all 'means'. He's a great teacher on enjoying life one moment at a time :-)