Unicorn Thoughts and The Gratitude Theory (Part 2)

(Entry date : February 10, 2023)

I went to pick up the kids’ school IDs. It was a quick errand—got some documents from the admin office, paid some fees, and headed home. On the drive back, I felt an odd tug, a sudden craving for coffee. Not my usual thing, but a little café called Ca Phe (in Saudi St. Better Living), serving Vietnamese coffee, caught my eye. I parked without hesitation and ordered a black coffee.

That’s when I realized—my wallet wasn’t in my bag. I searched the car. Nothing. The only place I could’ve left it was at the school.

I’ve gotten comfortable overriding the panic button, so I stayed calm as I scrambled to find enough loose change to pay for the coffee. I came up four pesos short, and i told the staff i will just come back for the coffee when i find my wallet so i could pay in full. Yet the staff member, China, smiled and handed me my coffee anyway. A small kindness that felt like a message: It’s okay. You’re still held.

Back in the car, I reminded myself: My wallet is waiting for me. Everything’s okay.
I whispered “thank you” over and over, not to anyone in particular, just to the space around me, knowing that things would work out. Even if they didn’t, I’d still be okay. I chose to stay with that feeling.

The drive back to school was slow. Cars backed out of parking lots or tried to park, stalling traffic.

Still, I resisted the urge to rush. Every time I felt a tug of anxiety or panic, I’d take a deep breath. A deep inhale, a long loud exhale. Again. And again. With me doing a voiceover in my head, “you’re ok, it’s all ok“. I soaked in that mantra with my entire being.

I finally got to the school, even before I got to park, I spotted an object on the ground. What a sight. There it was. Right in the middle of the school parking lot – my wallet. Untouched. Waiting for me like it never even left.

Three things I walked away with today:

• Listening to that quiet inner nudge matters. If I hadn’t stopped for coffee, I wouldn’t have known I lost my wallet so soon.

• Gratitude + trust = magic. Things don’t always have to go “right” for good to come your way. Believe that goodness finds you regardless.
  
• Found a great coffee place