02.14.06

Just in Case…

Posted in Uncategorized at 2:41 pm by Anthony Parker

by Anthony Parker This morning we discovered that the front tire on my older son’s bicycle tire was flat, so my four-year old son Jonathan rode with me as I drove Jeremy to school. On the way to school, Jonathan asked one of those out-of-the-blue questions that four-year olds are prone to ask. “Dad,” he said, “what does ‘just in case’ mean?” I explained, as best I could, that “just in case” refers about something one does because something else might happen. “I’m taking the umbrella today just in case it rains.” I don’t know what will happen, but I will be prepared just in case. Because of some events that occurred later in the day, it occurred to me that I am a “just in case” kind of guy. I like to be prepared for whatever might happen– just in case. I guess this applies particularly to money matters. I’m a bit of a cheap skate, but I always like to have some extra on hand just in case of an emergency. Today, Maureen and I went to the capital city of Lomé to have some work done on the car, and we thought we’d take advantage of the occasion to run a few errands around town and have a nice Valentine ’s Day lunch together. Well, the day didn’t turn out exactly as planned. You can read the details on Maureen’s post “An Unforgettable Valentine.” To make a long story short, I was pick-pocketed and came up a wallet, credit cards, driver’s license, and a pretty significant wad of cash short. I had taken along more cash than I needed just in case of an emergency. It turned out, that my preparations led to a greater loss than I would have otherwise suffered. Even so, I’d like to nominate the thieves that took my money as today’s Grace Note. As upsetting as the whole event was, I am thankful. It could have been much worse. We escaped from a potentially dangerous situation with our lives, health, and family intact. I couldn’t wait to get home to see my boys, to be together with my family, to have the things that are really important near to me. Yesterday, a dear friend and mentor of mine lost his adult son, coincidentally named Jonathan, in a tragic accident. Each time I’ve looked at my boys today, I’ve been reminded that they could easily be taken from me, or I from them. I’m thankful to the thieves for reminding me that, though I may have lost quite a bit of money, I have the loves of my life here with me, and that has made for a very happy Valentine’s Day. Jonathan’s question also reminded me that, though I cannot anticipate every just in case, I can prepare for them by keeping first things first. (Maureen made up for the lunch we missed today with delicious grilled barracuda and shrimp for dinner tonight. What a note of grace she is, too!)

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