key to my heart

huh, what is this strange thingy dingy?

Our 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan is slowly becoming old and stubborn. The back hatch will open with the remote only 20% of the time. For the other 80%, I climb into the back seat and painstakingly reach over the headrest to manually pull up the lock. This type of unlocking is not as relaxing as using the fancy remote.

Not long ago, I stood behind the van, remote in hand, pressing the "unlock" button over and over, hoping for a miracle. And then a miracle appeared. My nephew, Charlie, was standing next to me, noticing. He said, "Auntie Beck, just use the key."

Are you kidding me? All those times I had squeezed myself into the back of the van or sent someone else scrambling back there to pull up the lock toggle, I could have simply put the key into the lock and given a little twist.

Sometimes the solution to a challenge is right in front of us, so clear and obvious and easy that we push it aside as if it's in the way, looking around it to find "the goshdarn answer", the more complicated the better. Sometimes, if we're really lucky, a great and gentle teacher will appear to guide us back to center. I have thought about that precious moment with my nephew, who is also my godson, many times since that day.

Thank you, Charlie.