It was one of those days – I felt the world weighing down on me. On the outside, I smiled and went about my business, yet inside I was in turmoil.
I gave someone a ride from Brooklyn to the West Side of Manhattan so that we could both attend classes at the Jewish Renaissance Center. During a break, I asked one of the lecturers for advice regarding a situation which was causing me anxiety. I appreciated her answer, but I still felt a sense of unease. After the last class, I asked my friend, who had wanted to ride back with me, if she was in a rush, as I had to stop at a department store to make some returns on the way home. She agreed to come along with me.
As I was making the returns, I asked the associate if she could scan the price of the black skirt I had returned – it was the wrong size for me – as I was curious whether the price had gone down. Sure enough, it had been reduced significantly, but according to the computer there was only one left in my size in the store, and there was no guarantee I would be able to find it. The associate told me to check on the fourth floor.
Off my friend and I went to search for the skirt. After trying the regular racks, we decided to search the clearance rack, which was completely disorganized. I didn’t find the skirt there, but I did find some other items to buy. While I took them over to the cashier, my friend continued looking for clothes for herself. Suddenly I heard her calling my name. “I found it!” she said. It was the only skirt hanging on a crowded row of pants. My friend said she didn’t even know what possessed her to look there; she was on the phone talking to a friend and just wandered in that direction.
It seemed like the skirt I had been searching for was waiting to be uncovered at just the right moment. I was thrilled. And when I thought about it, I saw a deeper message: I need not feel angst about the those things I cannot control; there is always a plan just waiting to be revealed.