Opening Day Take Two

It was important to her. She had been waiting for months. Opening day was Friday and she was ready. The movie started at 640.
When Lizzie called for her help of course she said yes. She loved saying yes to friends in need, especially friends who so readily helped her when she was the one in need.
She looked at her watch to be sure it would work, but her mouth had already agreed. It would be tight but it would work out. It always works out.
She arrived at the stroke of 5 to pick Lizzie up, but it was not what she expected. The procedure had just started. Ughhh. Her heart started to race at the prospect of missing the show, but she had said yes. She wasn't about to make Lizzie feel badly, that was not her style. Too late to back out now. She had standards. It would be OK.
It took longer than planned before Lizzie was ready to leave. The trip to Livingston and then Elizaville felt like a cross country tour. The traffic was terrible. It brought out the worst in her. She didn't want Axel to see this side of her - -what kind of message is that for a mother to send a son? - but if only the cars in front of her would disappear! New Moon was opening tonight too, so when they finally got to the theatre the parking lot was full. Then the movie was sold out. Everything was going wrong. Everything. Tyson was saving her a seat, but the ticket girl didn't get that, there are rules after all. Her phone was hot from all the texting. ENOUGH. STOP! she finally told Tyson who she knew was only trying to help. Nothing would help. The movie had started 40 minutes ago. This was so not what she had wanted, but she had only her own kindhearted self to blame. She could have said no when she was asked to help. Why didn't she just say no?
She broke all the rules and got into her seat but it didn't make it better. It was not the way it was supposed to happen. Her mind was numb with disappointment and emotion. She had missed the experience she had so long anticipated. She had wanted to be present to this film. To watch intently. To appreciate all of it, the story, the acting, the feelings of this girl, this precious girl named Precious. Instead her own story was unfolding in her mind. She was preoccupied with her own thoughts and feelings, her own life.
How would she get from here to "all's well that ends well"? How to let go of such a disappointment that really is just a movie? How would she do that?
Choice, that's how. That really is the greatest weapon and tool that we have. We have a choice. We can carry every disappointment, every hurt, every anger with us, or we can take a long hard look at it, wallow in it even, and then let it go. It weighs so much more when we choose to put it in the back pack of our life and carry it with us. It weighs so little when we take a long hard look at it and carry only the lesson learned.
Some opening days are missed. That is just a fact of life. Some opening days are missed.
Sometimes, when you make someone else's life a little easier, you are the one who pays the price. Usually it is a very fair price to pay.
And sometimes the second viewing is Opening Day for something Precious.