A couple of weeks ago, the sun came out briefly. I suggested that Alan and I play hooky and go see the cherry blossoms at the Portland Japanese Garden. When we got there, we saw a sign—Closed on Tuesdays. Too disheartened to go home, we went to the zoo instead. Harbor seals glided through water. Otters slept with their noses tucked into their paws. Lions basked in the sun. No cherry blossoms, but it was a delightful day!

The following Monday, we both had appointments with our chiropractor, whose office is close to the Japanese Garden. After our appointments, we pulled into the garden’s parking lot. The sky turned black, and rain came down in sheets. We headed home, disappointed. As we passed through downtown Portland, the rain lightened up. We parked, pulled up our hoods, and strolled the paths of the Lan Su Chinese Garden. We listened to the rain hit the rooftops and watched the ripples in the pond spread as koi circled around them. The Chinese Garden is beautiful in the rain!

The other day, we finally got to the Japanese Garden. It was open. The sun was out. And the cherry trees had just bloomed. Had we made it to the garden on those earlier attempts, we would have been too early to see the blossoms in their full glory.

Failure is a funny thing. Sometimes it forces us to be creative and lets us discover new opportunities. And sometimes, it delays us until our timing is just right.