When Plans Change

This weekend was meant to be a weekend where I didn’t have to work the Saturday night doing the cricket club bar that I manage. It was meant to be a weekend where, for the first time ever, as a family, we sat down and had a little Eurovision party. We were getting food in, the kids were going to stay up and watch Eurovision and someone else was going to do the bar.

Friday evening was so chilled. We watched my boy whilst he took part in his training for cricket (which he started a couple weekends ago). He was awesome! It was a beautiful evening, the Sun was out and we walked around the pitch with an ice cold drink, watching all the young players learning different techniques. We looked at the new pitch which is being worked on and admired how great it was looking.

Saturday morning we woke with a plan to tidy the house a little, sort my daughters bedroom which resembled a bomb site. I’d pop to the club to introduce a new team member to the bar who was working the afternoon shift then I’d pop out again to introduce the other new team member for them to do the evening. 

All was going to plan until I had a message saying that the new member who was due to start at 6 wasn’t very well. I sent a message out to the team to see if anyone else might be able to work that evening, which returned a pitiful response. I knew what the end result was going to be before I sent the message, it was going to be me working the bar. I felt absolutely gutted that the one thing my kids were excited about doing, I was about to let them down on. 

I made sure the food was in for the kids and hubby to enjoy so they didn’t miss out. I went to the club and started my shift. Each moment I was not enjoying being there. The TV at the club then went on, a rare event, turns out the final of the FA Cup was on with Chelsea v’s Liverpool. It was around the 52nd minute. I looked at the clock and was a little relieved it wasn’t at the start. The 90th minute came, injury time was played, it didn’t end. Extra time came, 30 minutes later, it didn’t end. Penalty shoot outs came, 10 balls kicked, it didn’t end. Eventually after Chelsea missed in the second lot of shoot outs, the game finished.

Now, normally I love to have a busy bar, I love seeing money coming in so the club can benefit, but Saturday night all I wanted to do was go and spend that time with my family. Someone must have been watching over me and listening because the club after the game was unusually quite, only 6-8 players remained and after the football finished they decided to go into town. I was so happy. It took a matter of minutes to close the bar and the club house and I won’t deny, I did drive a little bit faster than normal to get home.

My daughter met me outside with great excitement and the words of ‘quick Mummy, it’s just about to start’ whilst bouncing around, we ran to the house, just as the food was being taken out of the oven. 

We settled down in front of the TV, my kids face’s full of joy and anticipation. I was exactly where I had wanted to be after the disappointment from earlier that day. 

Just goes to show that things may not always turn out the way you planned, but never give up on the things you really want! I love those moments where life throws you curveballs but also allows you to enjoy the things you want.