In life, you come across many bumps in the road, but sometimes these bumps aren't metaphorical and are actually blown truck tires that are coming at you at full force.
One of Mr. Big's friend's mother passed away last week and we decided to drive up to Seattle after Big got off work. It was Fourth of July weekend, it was late, it was dark and we had already seen a deer staring at us from the side of the road.
"Are you sure it was a deer and not a dog?" Big asked me.
"Yes, I think I know the difference between a deer and a dog," I snapped back.
Instead of using my little car, we decided to use his parent's brand new van. The thing drove beautifully and I felt powerful behind the wheel.
There was still some traffic from people trying to get an early start on their vacation. Suddenly, the little Honda in front of us bounced up and down. Before we could say anything, a big, black object came hurdling towards our van. We hit it dead-on, also causing us to bounce up and down. After screaming out "Holy S---!" we saw a truck on the side of the road with their hazards on. Their blown tire just bowled a strike down the highway.
We pulled into a Shell gas station to assess the damage. It was brutal. The brand new shiny bumper was now cracked. The guard was dragging on the pavement. Some wires were dangling. We had officially been screwed by this ninja tire of the night.
While we reached Seattle without further incident, our trip clearly had a dark cloud overhead.
A traditional Laos funeral last a full week, where they slaughter several pigs, cows and other livestock as offerings. The week-long event is not a time for sorrow, but to celebrate the person's life. The first couple of days are for mourning, while the oncoming week is more for friends and family to gather and talk about old stories. It comes across as a strange healing process, but it truly is beautiful.
We burned candles at an alter inside their house and wished his late mother a safe journey into the afterlife.
Maybe paying our respects gave us some good karma because we didn't have any problems on the drive back.