This morning I was sweeping the kitchen while the washing machine was on and swept behind the machine, pulling the drain hose out of the way. A few minutes later, after taking out the trash, I returned to find the kitchen floor wet and getting wetter by the second.

Apparently, while sweeping  I had disconnected the washing machine drain hose from its pipe, and the washing machine was kindly divulging its contents on to the floor. I had to laugh, then I reconnected the hose and decided it would be a good time to wash the kitchen floor.

It struck me that sometimes one thing leads to another. And it’s not always super fun. In fact, it’s often a bit (or a lot) of hard work, similar to my experience this morning. Larger life events can be similar.

Case in point: I moved to Singapore for a variety of reasons: to change my situation, to do something new and exciting, because I knew I’d never regret it, etc.. (various other reasons that should probably be the subject of a new post). And the journey I started in Singapore 3.5 years ago has brought all sorts of things with it - both good and bad. And also some mix of the two. And quite a bit of hard work.

I’m not done yet, but as I look forward to what comes next (or doesn’t) I start to wonder how I can prepare myself for chain reactions, to pursue a path that results in good things, and to be flexible enough to respond with grace to those that require hard work physically, mentally, and emotionally.