Timehop has its uses. It shows me pictures of my old cat, who’s now deceased, and reminds me how beautiful and affectionate she was, as well as how lucky and blessed I was to have her for 17 years.

Timehop also reminds me of events in my life that I had forgotten. Or repressed from my memory. You pick.

It was exactly a year ago today that I was dropping off the Red Sled, also known as my 1997 Jeep Cherokee, for repairs on my rear bumper that had been damaged in a fender bender.

It reminded me to be thankful that 1) I have really good auto insurance through USAA that completely took care of everything, 2) the wreck and/or the damage to my car wasn’t worse than it was (because it sounded and felt way worse than it actually was), and 3) that I’m now talking about it in the past tense.

Sometimes you need reminding that the trials in your life won’t last forever. It may seem like it at the time, but every trial and test has a beginning and an end.

My trial (which is light and momentary compared with what so many others are going through) is over. My Jeep is still running and I’m closing in on 330,000 miles. I may just take the engine out of the Red Sled and drop it in the next car I buy.

So, happy Thursday and all. Stay safe out on the road, especially during rush hour traffic. And remember to always count your blessings.