So Much to Be Thankful For
- Teresa
- Jul 16, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 14, 2025
On Sunday, Keith and I got up at 5 am. We got ready, had breakfast, made our lunch, and finished the packing we had started the day before.
Our goal was to leave at 7, and we left at 7:15. We were so excited to be on a trip and on our way to the ocean at Morro Bay!
Forty-five minutes later, at 8 am, on highway 10, all the traffic stopped.
Four hours later, the freeway finally reopened, and we were back on the road.
Just fifteen minutes after that, our truck wouldn't shift higher than fourth gear of the six gears it has. It wouldn't reach regular speed, so we had to turn around and head home.
Instead of arriving at the beach as planned, we arrived home and had to unpack our RV.
Yesterday, our mechanic told us that our transmission fluid contains metal shavings, and our transmission needs to be replaced.
It doesn't seem like there was much to be thankful for. But in reality, there was so much to be grateful for.
The accident occurred a short distance down the freeway from where we stopped, so we were thankful that we hadn't left at 7 as planned; otherwise, we might have been part of the accident.
The transmission in our truck stayed together long enough to transport us and our trailer home, and the next day, to our mechanic's place.
I discovered that the shortness of breath, congestion, and exhaustion I had been experiencing recently were caused by a simple change Keith and I had made. When Keith or I go out, we take those clothes off in our garage and change into newly washed clothing. Then, we wash those clothes with Dr. Bronner's and double vinegar to remove the toxins. However, Dr. Bronner's does not clean laundry well, and we began to have stains on our clothes, so we recently switched to using only double organic white vinegar. I realized this change was causing my new symptoms. We moved all our clothes to our garage and are now washing them, first with Dr. Bronner's to remove toxins, and then with double organic white vinegar (one cup in the tub with the clothes, and another cup in the bleach dispenser)to clean them and eliminate any remaining toxins. My shortness of breath, congestion, and exhaustion are gone!
Keith entered our route into MyRadar Pro, an app on our phones that displays air quality. If we hadn't been delayed by the accident, we would have been in Palm Springs, where the air was harmful for sensitive people, with a truck that needed a new transmission, no place planned to stay, as well as the issue that all our clothing was making me very ill!
Even When Plans Go Awry, There’s Always Something to Be Thankful For
Now we realize so clearly how much there was to be thankful for, even in regard to our truck breaking down and the freeway being closed!
We may not realize it, especially when we're sad, but there are always so many things to be thankful for.
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Let’s hear it for Vitamin G! Gratitude! Love your story and it’s dramatic twists and turns. Your awareness of the blessings inherent in the situation even when you were not initially aware of them is inspiring! Also a great reminder to look for the “highest good” in a situation, which is not always what we think is the best thing at the time! As in, let us give thanks for both answered prayers AND unanswered ones!
Great story! I love how you stayed positive and focused on being grateful instead of being negative.
It’s a uplifting story to those who always procrastinate and put things off then feel guilty being that. Sometimes maybe not always there I a deeper reason to a mental postponement usually you may never know, but sometimes it’s like spiting the gold coin and catching the rainbow.