307. You’re Perfect

Parking lots can bring out the worst in us, but today’s okay thing comes from a listener who had a positive interaction with another driver.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

Nora McInerny: I’m Nora McInerny, and it’s going to be okay. That is a bold statement to make when you look around the world because, uh, is it? But we didn’t call this show everything is going to be okay because that is wrong and kind of dumb, honestly. Instead, we agreed to create a group project where every day we are going to find an okay thing.

Or you are going to share an okay thing and we are going to share it with as many people as we can because sometimes it’s hard to find the okay thing in your own day. And sometimes you do need somebody to point out the light. Today’s okay thing came to us through an email. I’ve been binging episodes.

Everyone in Phoenix, Arizona is, everyone’s car in Phoenix, Arizona is not okay. The sounds I hear from, coming from cars, not okay. I’ve been binging episodes of It’s Going To Be Okay while I wait for ultrasound and blood test results to tell me if the odd things in my cervix and ovaries are just that, odd, or if they’re cancerous.

My husband has told me multiple times that it’s going to be okay, and more importantly, that whatever it is, we will figure it out together. Bonus points for him because I podcast, but as always, he knows what to say to keep me calm. Very early on in our relationship. I had knee issues and was facing surgery and when I was really nervous about it, he said, we’ll figure it out together.

I’d never heard that from a partner before and it made me realize that I was going to be okay and that he was my person. And then on top of having such a supportive husband, I’ve incredible, caring, supportive doctors. And this morning on the way to get my blood drawn, I was nervous and started to pull into a parking space while the woman in the next car was still getting out of her car.

I waved and smiled and waited for her to get out. And then when I got out of my car, I apologized. She smiled and yelled, No, you’re perfect! It took all of my energy not to break down sobbing in the parking lot, and also a very real fear that I’d scare the hell out of this wonderful stranger. I’ve been thinking about her all day, in between stressing about these results, and I know that I’ll hear her yelling, No, you’re perfect!

for a long, long time. I might not be perfect, maybe, possibly, but I do know that it’s going to be okay. You are perfect. You are. Whoever you are. Especially this writer in her and especially that lady in the parking lot. Guys, everyone is on the edge. The edge. Parking lots are the worst of us. We are all like just one bad parking lot experience from a full mental breakdown.

So saying no, you’re perfect to somebody in the parking lot. That’s actually not a small thing. That’s a huge thing. That’s a gift that you gave to this person who then gave it to us. And now I get to bring it forward. And if I find myself in a parking lot today and I have any possibility of saying out loud to another person, you’re perfect.

I’m saying it. Oh, I’m saying it.