One of the things I love most about lessons is that they can be found anywhere.

The pipe fixture that the garden hose connects to in the front of the house has a leak, and since it was hidden behind a few rose bushes and other shrubbery, the leak was essentially invisible.

At first, the signs were slight. Some peeling stucco here, a bit of dampness there — but either could have been due to the age of the house, the recent rain or the last time I had the sprinklers on. Upon further inspection, the problem seemed to go a bit deeper. An expert will need to be called in, because the main line appears to be involved.

Yesterday a couple of bushes were pulled out, exposing the situation and adding clarity. That small bit of peeling stucco was slightly larger than originally thought, and the dampness was very much due to the pipe. One only needed to listen closely and the sound of water dripping was audible.

Do you ever have people in life that seem to get you a bit off track? They might be your closest friends, maybe even family, a loved one or a colleague. At first their effect is welcome, but over time you can’t deny the fact that something is being chipped away. Eroded. Something is turning into the spiritual equivalent of peeling plaster. The surface is still somewhat intact, but the damage underneath is apparent.

What’s worse, you’re sinking. It’s slow, and the temperature might feel somewhat nice, but make no mistake: you’re going down. The culprit? Certainly not a balmy, pleasant spa — instead, it’s an expanse of mud. Quicksand for the soul. A sticky situation that’s easily remedied, however — assuming we’re up for a bit of house-cleaning.

You might need to call for backup. You may need to lean on an expert or two. But before long, that leaking and eating away that’s compromising your very foundation will be taken care of, and solid ground will prevail.

Are you in a situation that needs some attention? Is something trying your patience or turning your values upside down? There’s good news in it: most paths we find ourselves going down allow for U-turns at some point, and for as often as the world seems to have nothing but bad news to share, helping hands are plentiful. They’re ready to pull you up and out, ready with a gentle touch on your shoulder when the going gets rough. Repairs can be made, and healing can begin. It simply takes a bit of digging and clearing out of those things which may be masking the very elements that are set to be our undoing.

Tonight, for a leaky pipe, a newly-cleared garden that’s made the root of the problem visible and for lessons that can come at any time, from anywhere, I am thankful.