Familiar Face

I had an appointment this afternoon that I really didn't want to keep. Or, rather, my husband had an appointment that he couldn't keep, so I got to go in his place.

Doing things in his place makes me nervous, as his areas of expertise often line up precisely with my biggest weaknesses. But weaknesses aside, this appointment had to be kept, so I went along, hoping to be effective and useful, dreading every minute of it.

It didn't help matters that I arrived a few minutes late. I checked in with the receptionist, and she picked up the phone and informed someone that their one o'clock appointment was here. Then she told me to have a seat, they would be right out. I was too nervous to sit, so I just stood there - a tad awkwardly - with my nervous self.

A few moments later, around the corner walked a friend. I just about sagged with relief. I know this person! We like each other. We are friends, and we have history and shared interests, and suddenly this appointment was less like an homage in bureaucratic paperwork  and more like a chatty visit with a person I enjoy.

I am grateful for a familiar face in an unfamiliar place, particular one I like and admire. I am grateful that when push comes to shove, I can still do forms and paperwork and regulation compliance. It was so nice to feel at ease, so I could ask questions and talk through things out loud, to be sure I wasn't messing things up. It was also nice to sprinkle the process with questions about family, and hobbies, and the whole "how I've spent my summer" discussion. I was in that office for over an hour. It's possible I could have died of apprehension and anxiety. But I didn't. I had a pleasant visit and got an important appointment taken care of. And I am grateful it's over.

What are you blessed with today?