The wrong loop

Ever wake up feeling like the universe is playing a prank on you? One of those mornings where you spill your coffee before it even touches your lips, and you just know the day is rigged against you.

That’s how this week kicked off for me.

Sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and it feels like you’re stuck in the wrong loop, spinning through mishaps without a clear exit.

It started with the boiler.

Picture this: a chilly Tuesday evening, and suddenly there’s no hot water. I stand there in the shower, water trickling out cold as ice, shivering while I try to rinse off shampoo that smells like regret.

We call the plumber, who arrives with his toolbox and a sympathetic nod, but it takes two days to fix. In the meantime, baths become a negotiation with lukewarm reality.

Then, as if on cue, the dishwasher joins the chaos.

It was humming along fine one night, loaded with plates from dinner, when it decides to flood the kitchen. Water everywhere, soaking the floor in a shiny puddle that reflects the fluorescent light like a mocking mirror.

I spend an hour mopping up, cursing under my breath, while my partner hands me towels with that “we’ll laugh about this later” look.

But later feels far away when you’re knee-deep in domestic disasters.

Just when I thought the appliances were done testing me, my baby decided sleep was optional.

For the past three nights, she’s been wide awake from midnight until dawn, fussing and reaching for me with tiny hands that grip like she’s holding on for dear life.

The room fills with her soft cries, echoing off the walls, while I rock her in the dim glow of a nightlight that casts long shadows like weary guardians.

It’s exhausting, you know? Those hours blur into a haze of feedings and lullabies whispered into the quiet.

I catch myself staring at the ceiling, wondering if this is the loop we’ll be stuck in forever.

But then she finally drifts off, her breathing steady and warm against my chest, and for a moment, the world rights itself.

It’s these small victories that remind me we’re in it together.

There are days or even weeks where nothing seems to be working.

Stuff falling apart left and right, pulling you into this endless cycle of fixes and frustrations.

I keep thinking, why now? Why pile it on when I’m already juggling work and life like a clumsy circus act?

Yet, here’s the thing: life continues anyway.

We patch the boiler, dry the kitchen floor, and soothe the baby back to sleep.

We keep our heads up, even when it feels heavy.

It’s not about pretending the mess doesn’t exist; it’s about moving through it, one step at a time. Maybe the wrong loop teaches us that resilience isn’t some grand hero moment. It’s the quiet choice to try again, coffee spills and all.

What about you? Ever been caught in your own version of this?

Next time things unravel, remember: the loop might be wrong, but you’re not. We just do it nevertheless, and somehow, that keeps us going.