Is it really that Simple . . . Just flip a Switch?

Last evening, while preparing dinner, I was peeling potatoes.

All of a sudden I dropped the potato . . . down the garbage disposal. And yes, the first thing I did was stick my hand down in there in an effort to rescue the potato. It was one of the bigger ones I had elected to peel!

Austin was in the kitchen with me as he was unloading the dishwasher and yelled, “Mom, don’t stick your hand down there!” Of course, I quickly removed my hand. I didn’t feel or see the potato so I assumed it went down the drain as it was.

I proceeded to peel a few more potatoes then scraped the peelings in the garbage disposal without sticking my hand in there again. When I turned on the disposal, it made a really weird sound for a few seconds then quit.

After Austin surveyed the situation, he saw the potato! So he grabbed a knife and within a few minutes the potato was rescued but guess what happened when we turned the garbage disposal back on? Nothing. That’s right, nothing. Austin encourage me to wait a few minutes and try it again. So I did. And still  . . . nothing. Austin proceeded to explain and show me with his hands how the disposal works and why the potato was lodged. He’s so smart . . .

I continued fixing dinner and decided I’d just wait until after dinner to tell Scott. We certainly couldn’t afford a new garbage disposal right now but I lived without one for almost 43 years. I could manage without it.

As we were sitting down for dinner my charming, delightful son says, “Mom, did you tell Scott?” As I gave him “that look”, he smiled and turned his head as he said, “oops.” Then, of course, Scott wanted to know so I told him first how much I loved him then told him what had happened, and I was so sorry.

He flashed that beautiful smile back at me, opened the cabinet doors under the sink, flipped a switch, and guess what! You guessed it! The garbage disposal was back in business! I raised my arms and thanked God, and Scott of course, I didn’t burn out the motor or . . . well, do anything else to it.

As we were enjoying dinner and the reassurance the garbage disposal was once again working, I couldn’t help but think about life and how simple it would be to just open the doors and flip a switch and make it all better. Wouldn’t that be awesome? . . . or would it . . .

Would we still learn to:

Let go, forgive and enjoy life?

Take care of ourselves, physically, mentally and spiritually?

Cease new opportunities?

Appreciate the good times?

Sharpen our focus on what matters most in life?

Be as strong, confident and trusting as we are today?

Appreciate the best days of your life?

Learn some of life’s greatest lessons when you fail?

Appreciate a smile?

(one of my favorites) Learn to dance in the rain?

So  . . . the next time we wish life was as easy as flipping the switch when life gets tough remember this . . . although it was simple to flip the switch, making the disposal work again, when Austin rescued the potato from the garbage disposal, it didn’t look the same as it did when I dropped it . . . it was cut  . . . and bruised.

What are some things you'd miss if we didn't persevere through the tough times if life was as easy as flipping a switch?

Please feel free to comment. I welcome and appreciate your thoughts and comments because as we share with one another, we can only make it better together!