Last week I ran to the mall to return something at Lululemon. It was supposed to be a quick trip—make the return and leave. Because I had no intention of perusing the mall, I parked in a different spot than I usually do because it was closest to Lululemon.

I stayed on task, kinda. About an hour later I was headed out and done.

But I couldn’t find my car. I was sure that when I entered by The Cheesecake Factory I had parked to the left so I wandered around clicking my car door button hoping to hear a “beep beep” that would lead me to my car. Up and down each aisle, going in circles, but no beep beep.

I was lost.

At one point my frustration turned to humor and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at myself. I tell people I get lost jogging, but it is really true. I have absolutely no sense of direction. How could I be lost when I parked under an hour ago? I chose to believe my directional dyslexia is just a sacrifice to boost other elements of my brain. It’s the only way to make sense of how bad it is.

I was contemplating calling my husband because he would have laughed with me when I came across an older lady standing by the trunk of her car. She wasn’t crying or anything but certainly looked concerned. I don’t know what prompted me to ask her if she was okay, but I did.

She told me her name– Rosemary– and said she couldn’t find her car keys. She was worried she had lost them. I offered to help find them and she seemed relieved to not be alone. As I was checking to see if she accidentally locked them inside her car, I noticed that she walked very slowly and immediately understood why wandering around looking for her keys felt like a big challenge.

I asked her where she could possibly have left them. She had no idea until I pointed at her Williams Sonoma bag. We both laughed and it seemed like a good starting point. I headed back into the mall to Williams Sonoma. WA LA!! Rosemary had set her keys down somewhere in the store and someone had turned them in.

I ran back, smiling and waving her keys over my head. We celebrated, hugged and she drove away after expressing tremendous appreciation. Good news- Rosemary was on her way and I remembered that I had parked to the RIGHT of the entrance and was looking in the completely wrong spot. Two clicks later and I heard my car.

Suddenly, I no longer felt lost. Not because I found my car, but because I had been able to help Rosemary.

It all made sense.

Life is all about discovering, exploring, and experiencing. And sometimes feeling lost lets us discover, explore and experience something we didn’t know we needed to do, or we needed in our life.

It is about enjoying the adventure and embracing the detours.

We are continually met with hidden lessons. Moments that remind us to slow down and appreciate exactly where we are. Moments that tell us around every corner or challenge lies a truth that expands our understanding or helps in our self-discovery. Moments that teach us and moments that build us. Moments that put us in a place to help others and moments that help us see that everything happens for a reason.

It is okay to be lost. We don’t always have to have our shit together but it’s helpful when we find the wiggle room needed to breathe and realize it’s okay to wander. Sometimes our weaknesses are actually our strengths, and the lessons are right in front of us if we pause long enough to see them. The moments of unknowing are the blessings in disguise.

I thought about sweet Rosemary that night. Grateful I could do something small to help her get home. Appreciative of our brief moment together. Thankful that I stopped to see if she was okay. And so glad that I got lost, so I could land exactly where I was supposed to be.