Leaks happen and never fix themselves!

As I write, I am in the middle of a small crisis. My wife and I returned home this afternoon to a large puddle on the kitchen floor. The small pipe leading up to the faucet on the kitchen sink was leaking fast. It gets worse. The main shut-off valve in the crawl space does not shut off. It is Saturday. So the plumber on his way will charge an extra high weekend rate to intervene and fix the problems of the leak and the dysfunctional main shut-off valve. Alas! I write as I wait for the plumber to arrive. This small crisis of a leak occasions reflection on some truths about leaks and in general problems in life:

• Life (difficult things) happen: Problems like leaks are part of life. They should be preventable, but may not be.
• Imperceptible: They often begin very small, often imperceptible at first.
• No self-repair: They rarely fix themselves.
• Worse with time: Problems tend to grow. They gather momentum and impact.
• Can't be ignored: The longer they go unaddressed the more damage and cost is incurred.
• They hurt to fix: There is always a cost, pain, and sacrifice to the solution.
• After the solution is engaged, there remains collateral challenges and damages to address.

The plumber has not yet arrived, but I am anticipating a large bill and the need to clean-up the mess in the crawl space (puddles of water that could cause mold, mildew, and rot).

This side of heaven, leaks, problems, disasters, and pain are part of life. We try to anticipate the struggles and setbacks and believe in practicing "an ounce of prevention", but nevertheless . . . Alas! Things happen! However, the leaks and other problems occasion reflection and lessons along the way. And from time to time a good story with which others may identify.

There's the doorbell. The plumber has arrived.