It's always an adventure when I come home from grocery shopping and open the back of my SUV.
No matter how carefully I drive, things shift during transit.
I push the button and squat with my arms open, ready to catch whatever falls out.
Once, I had a candle fall out and shatter all over my garage floor.
Another time, three cans of soup fell out, one of them landing painfully on my toe.
And then there was the watermelon incident.
This was a couple months back, when watermelons were in season. I bought one for Jacob; it's his favorite fruit.
It didn't fit in any of the bags, but I figured I could just set it in the back and carry it separately.
I could hear the watermelon rolling around on my drive home. I started to get nervous, anticipating the possibility of a disaster.
I pulled into the garage.
I was ready when I hit that button to open the hatch. Perched behind the car, determined not to let anything get by me.
But that watermelon had a mind of its own.
It came rolling out so fast I didn't even have time to react. Landed on the garage floor, bounced twice and then settled comfortably on the concrete driveway.
As if mocking me.
It struck me as funny when I stepped back and surveyed the scene. Almost as if my SUV had just given birth.
Of course I had to take a picture.
Fortunately, the watermelon was salvageable. We enjoyed it (and a good laugh) that evening.
Watermelons. Soup. Candles.
They aren't the only things that shift during transit.
The things we carry with us in life are shifting all the time on this journey.
When we stop and open the doors to our hearts and our homes, it's inevitable that something is going to fall and hit the ground.
People leave us.
Memories fade.
We try to catch them as they roll away, but sometimes the momentum is too strong.
But every once in awhile, like that watermelon, they don't roll far and we can pick them back up and enjoy them a little bit longer.
It's all part of this roller coaster of a journey.
I'm going to keep working on my ready stance though.
Thankfully, I've got a few months before melon season...
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