Expect the Unexpected: 10 Examples by Sarah Raplee

One of my favorite sayings is "Expect the unexpected" or "You never know what life will bring." Here are ten examples from my life that illustrate how unpredictable life can be - and that's okay.

1. Weather. In 2008 we lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when the worst flood in a thousand years hit the Midwest.
   
   
   More recently I found a voice mail on my phone from my oldest son, who still lives in Iowa. "Mom, I just wanted you to know we're on the basement stairs in case the house falls down. Please tell 911 there are five of us here if that happens." A Tornado? No, it was something no one had heard of called a Derecho: a severe, widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. This one swept through the Midwestern states. Every building in the Cedar Rapids area was damaged or destroyed. (I know this because my son's business does storm damage repair. Luckily his house was reinforced to prevent damage; the neighbors lost their roofs.)
   
   
   Then there was the time (before phones and tablets and earbuds and movie screens in cars) we were driving across the country in early June with two bored little kids in the back seat. To keep them busy, my husband offered to pay them a nickel for each deer or antelope they spotted from the freeway. We drove across South Dakota and Wyoming through a rare summer snowstorm that drove the herds down by the Interstate to take shelter from the wind. The kids made over twenty dollars each.
   
   
2. Babies. When my husband was planning to have a vasectomy because I had been so sick during our first two pregnancies, I thought I had caught the flu. God had other plans for us. I told The Almighty we would name the baby "Worth It", because he'd better be!!! It was another difficult pregnancy, but luckily he was and IS worth it. As usual, God knew what He was doing.
   
   
   I've known women who got pregnant while on every type of birth control (which is an oxymoron in my opinion.) I've known a woman who got pregnant while nursing twins. I have an old friend who had her tubal ligation undone so she could have a baby with her new husband at the age of 53 (better her than me!) And after all my children seemed to be done having children, my surprise #3 child and his wife had a #4 child. 
   
   
3. Phone Calls. Out of the blue, my sister called from her home in California to ask if her nineteen-year-old newlywed daughter could stay with us while her husband (who'd joined the Navy) went through Basic Training near Chicago, which was a five-hour drive from our Iowa home. Of course, we agreed. I returned to the dinner table and said, "You never know what life will bring!" 
   
   
4. Birds. You  never know what will show up at the feeder or on the fence. We live in the country in the Cascade Foothills of Oregon. The other day, I took our puppy out into his play yard. While he explored and peed, I heard a strange, difficult-to-describe sound that I couldn't identify. Thinking it might be from a bird, I looked up and spotted a rather large bird flapping its wings desperately like a duck, but it wasn't a duck, and it flew in a circle at treetop height making that funny squawk. I couldn't figure out what it was. Then movement higher up caught my attention. A full-grown vulture soared in a circle far above the struggling bird. The light dawned. I as watching a young vulture leaving the  nest for the first time! After half a dozen circles, the young bird flew into the trees, no doubt ready for a rest.
   
   
5. Ants. Just when you think your fourth attempt to kill the workers and queen with a new brand of ant bait has actually worked, they are back in full force.
   
   
6. Drivers. I try hard to be an predictable driver. I use my turn signals, leave plenty of room between my car and the next, never get emotional or take other drivers' mistakes personally. (And pray. A lot.)  Even so, I have been in accidents. There are no guarantees.
   
   
7. Young Children. Case in point: Our two-year-old great-grandson had to go to Urgent Care because he grabbed a cactus. That's why we keep dangerous stuff out of their reach for as long as possible.
   
   
   We must never let down our guard. Years ago another two-year-old threw a rock in the pond we were visiting and then ran in after it! Grandma (Me) ran after him and caught him by the shirt just before he disappeared in the murky depths. (It's a story that gets repeated at family gatherings to his great embarrassment.)
   
   
8. Change. Change often happens when you least expect it. I fell seriously ill and had to resign from a job I loved. I was so scared! But in the end, everything worked out well.
   
   
9. The Economy. A college Economics Major recently told me that predicting economic trends is about as accurate as predicting the weather.(See #1) 
   
   
10.  Opportunities. Sometimes all you have to do is summon the courage to ask. I found homes for six cats that way. I found customers for my small business that way.
    
    

The unexpected makes life interesting. Could be good news or bad news, but often when it first happens -  it's too early to tell! 

What unexpected things have happened in your life?