Yellow Lights

Yellow Traffic Lights

Lately, I have noticed that I get stopped by yellow lights whenever I drive.

Yes, you read that correctly. I know the laws.

Stop at red.

Go at green.

Slow down at yellow.

I know.

But here’s the thing. I am consistently getting caught at the tail end of the yellow lights. Which, for all intents and purposes, you should slow down and…stop.

Or risk running a red light. Which, yes, I do. However, considering I typically have a car full of kids, I tend to slow down and thus stop.

The bigger question is…why am I consistently getting the latter half of yellow lights, forcing me to stop?

And believe me, it’s not the routine. It’s not the same route. It just is.

I drive…a lot. Kids, a sick dad with many doctor’s visits, errands, you name it.

Every day is different. Timing. Street routes. Traffic. It definitely varies.

And honestly, some days, it really pisses me off. I mean, it’s the kind of annoyance that makes me want to speed and switch lanes erratically, and go full-on Mario Kart 8 on my small town.

Yet, here I am. No tickets to speak of in the last 15 years (knock on wood) because I…pause. I slow down. I stop.

I don’t rush. I take a deep breath. I obey the laws of the lights—freaking yellow stupid light.

The point is…I pay attention, which allows me to slow down, and eventually STOP.

Lord as my witness, why can’t I do this in my day-to-day life? Or…

Or…

Perhaps, the yellow traffic lights are giving me a (you guessed it) sign.

I mean this has happened so much and so consistently that I couldn’t ignore that little damn yellow sign.

I eventually came to the conclusion that I do, indeed, need to slow down.

So, what have those stops given me?

Well, if I take the time to reflect…this is what I have come up with…

• Five extra minutes in the car with my dad, who shared a story about his days in the Air Force that I had not heard before.

• A chance to hear how rough State Testing has been on my twins and how overwhelmed they felt.

• An opportunity to answer a call about a meeting I have been trying to schedule.

• A gap between the crazy driver in front of me.

• A moment to enjoy a favorite song that magically transports me to a place that makes me really happy.

• Time to regroup and focus on my day.

See, I am sharing this with you as a reminder that sometimes the most annoying circumstances are actually opportunities for us to refocus or recognize what is around us.

Just last night, I rushed my youngest daughter off the field of her track meet because I just had to “do” other things. I was frustrated (not to mention freezing cold from the icy Spring wind—thanks, Ohio). She was hesitant to leave early, which caused friction between us, but off to the car we went—down the steep hill, through the curvy road, only to meet…a yellow light.

I stopped. As we raised our eyes to meet the traffic signal, the most magnificent sunset appeared before us. It looked like a pastel painting, right out of a Renaissance masterpiece.

I gasped. She grabbed her phone to take a picture.

We both paused, smiled, and absorbed the beauty before us.

All because of a yellow light.

So, the next time you find yourself in this situation, pause, reflect, and try to see what is in front of you.

Yellow traffic lights help maintain the order and flow of traffic. But if we are really being honest, they allow us moments that would otherwise be lost in the bustle of our lives' constant motion.

So, this episode's mantra is: Take a moment to pause and see what is before you.

You might just find that the pause is actually a gift.

Proceed with caution across this bridge, but that’s ok. Use it as a brief moment to absorb what is going on around you.

Until next time -

Xo,

Bridgette