The Day My Faucet Broke (Along with my Mind)

A few weekends ago, I went to take a shower before work. I turned the faucet and the knob came right off in my hand. Water was rushing, the knob wouldn’t go back on, and we had to shut off the water.

Honestly, I was a little excited. That faucet was ancient and it was time for a little upgrade. We bought a new one the next day, and my husband and brother-in-law set out to install it. What should have been a 10-minute swap turned into an all-day plumbing saga. I couldn’t find any emergency weekend plumbers, so it was a relay race between YouTube tutorials, many hardware store runs and hopeful improvisation.

As the hours passed, I began to watch myself... like, really watch myself. Every few minutes, I’d catch my mind spinning stories:

There’s no plumber! How will we shower? Eat? Water the dogs?

It'll work out. Deep breaths.

What if this turns into a massive repair and we have to take out a loan? 

Could we even get a loan?

Wow that was some worst case scenario thinking, lol.

Come back to your breath, Sarah. Stay present.

Why can’t the guys figure it out already? 

Wow, now I’m judging them. And now I’m judging myself for judging them.

Deeeeep Breath, feel your feet. 

Should I ask the neighbors to use their shower?

Oh wait, they're out of town, who else could I call?

Oh, future thinking again. Come back Sarah.

It was like a dramatic soap opera up there in my mind - chaos, comedy, catastrophizing. I’d latch on, notice I’d latched, then let go. Over and over. My body kept tensing and relaxing like I was a human accordion (picture that!).

Eventually, I was just… done. Not with the plumbing but with the endless stories of my mind. So I stepped outside, closed my eyes and just breathed. I stayed with my breath for quite some time. As I breathed I invited in the whole experience, seeing if I could really let it all be as it is. Over some minutes, I felt my body soften, my thoughts quiet. I felt a deep release within. A letting go. Then I said out loud to my spirit guides, “I need a miracle. Please help us fix this plumbing situation. Thank you.”

Then I stood up, shook my body to release any expectations of the outcome and walked inside, feeling very light and almost giddy. I could laugh again and found myself easily smiling. I got a few things done. I let everything just… be. And wouldn’t you know it less than an hour later, the guys figured it out. Boom. Water restored. Pipes fixed. No leaks. Shiny new faucet gleaming.

As I thanked my guides, I had the wildest vision: I could see the whole day unfold like a living movie. Emotions bubbling up and dissolving, over and over and over. All of us moving through frustration, laughter, confusion. My heart swelled so wide, it felt like it filled my whole body. I saw us all, humans in this little play, doing our best. I even saw myself with so much love and compassion.

And I got it, deeper than ever before: this is the work. To let whatever’s here… to fully be here. To meet it deeply with curiosity, breath and presence. Over and over and over.

That day, I judged, I feared, I resisted and... I also breathed, released and laughed. I practiced. I asked for help. That's all any of us can do. Come home to ourselves again and again.

So I share this with you because, when life throws you a plumbing issue or any other curveball, maybe it’s not a setback. Maybe it’s your next invitation. To be present. To witness yourself with tenderness. To choose presence over panic. To love the messy, human play of it all.

And maybe, just maybe, to laugh a little while you’re at it.

May your faucets and pipes hold strong and your presence flow freely!

Munaycha,

Sarah