Hawaiian Music and a Linen Napkin

Sometimes we need to be ready to just react. Sometimes there is no time to think things over, or the opportunity may pass us by. I was on the winning end of just such a circumstance.

I travel often with my husband. He has incredibly broad shoulders and loves to sit next to me on a plane because he knows that I won't mind sharing part of my seat with him, which isn't always the case with less than patient strangers. I love my husband and would follow him the world over, but sometimes, selfishly, I don't look forward to the cramped quarters of the Coach section with his overwhelming presence. If price were no object, we would gravitate to the extra space in First-Class. If price were no object.

This morning as we sat at the gate waiting for the long flight which would begin a much-needed vacation, my husband gave me the greatest gift. Even before the announcement concluded that there were extra seats in First Class available for an upgrade, he shot out of his chair, as quickly as a man of his size can, and took off to the desk. He didn't wait to hear what the cost would be; he didn't wait to talk about it, think about it, stew over it, pray about it. He just went for it.

My first inclination was to follow him, stop him, and tell him we couldn't afford it, whatever "it" was. Something told me just to stay where I was. So I did, all the while trying to contain the giggling that was spilling out of my heart.

Oh my stars. Could it be? Did he really beat the little old man that had joined the race? He did. We won. We beat the odds. We won the gamble. We would be flying first class to Maui at a fraction of the regular cost. I know, because I have priced it.

So often I let common sense win. So often I take the practical approach and it serves me well. Then why did I relish the before-flight glass of water? Or the linen napkin and the hot meal? Or the mango parfait with the grilled pineapple slice, toasted coconut, and fresh whipped cream? Or the unlimited use of the little magic movie box?

You get the idea. I suppose if I traveled that way all the time, those things would become passé, but I'm not there yet. I felt like a queen and with the Hawaiian music that gently played in the background, I knew that we were off to a great start. And the extra shoulder and leg room didn't hurt much either! Perhaps we really would be able to put our cares behind us for a few days.

I am thankful for a husband who, most of the time, is very cautious, is very conservative, very thrifty.

And I am thankful that today he wasn't.