It doesn't always turn out

.... How you think it will.

Tonight I was chopping fruit in preparation for our first BBQ of the season, when my phone alerted me to something on my calendar.

Sadly I wasn't going to make that flight. 

When my husband lost his job he found out a few days later that his AF unit was leaving on their TDY (Tour of Duty) for 2 weeks and he was assigned to go to Florida. We were so excited about such an opportunity and decided that I would fly out to spend the last few days with him. We had been wanting to go somewhere for our 10 year anniversary and this was the perfect getaway for the least amount of money.

But then he got sick. And as hard as we tried to get it all done before he left, the medical team in his unit decided he was not cleared to fly. (Apparently you have to have blood and high oxygen levels and iron in order to fly. Who knew?)

So home he came and I had to cancel my trip and swallow up the price of the ticket. We knew there had to be a reason for such a setback and sure enough a few days later he interviewed and was hired by his soon to be place of employment.

As a result of all the back and forth, he also missed applying for his graduation ceremony on time. We decided we would celebrate his pomp and circumstance with a good Texas sized grill (graduation present) and invite over a few friends who have helped us carry many burdens over the last five years. 

So while I was cutting fruit and missing my flight, I paused in protest just for a second and then glanced out my window to see this:

A backyard full of love and support and kindness. And suddenly missing my flight didn't seem so sad. 

It doesn't always turn out as you hoped it would. More often than not, it's even better.

(Notice the truth she proudly displays!)