Today’s mantra
5.27.09
You know how things sometimes seem really, really, all-encompassingly important when you’re in the middle of them… but then don’t seem nearly so important once they’re past? That really came home to roost with me the other night.
All year, I’ve dutifully printed out all of the e-mails that have passed between Sean and me, with the intention of presenting them to him, in a binder, probably when he graduates from college. He will be able to see that he overcame struggles and accomplished things that he perhaps didn’t think he could achieve at the time.
Flipping through them as I was putting them into the binder made me realize that things that had me all in a dither this year have passed and been replaced by other dither-inducers, which have been surpassed by yet more dither-inducers, and so on. But looking back, none of them seem to have had much of a lasting effect. This is definitely a reminder to follow that oft-quoted advice to ask yourself, when you’re upset or worried, “Will this matter in a week? Or a year? Or 10 years?” Almost always — unless the house is on fire or you’re turning down the job of a lifetime — the answer is no.
Another killer-great oldie-but-goodie is “This, too, shall pass,” which should be my mantra as Sean navigates his current life issues. Although I’m very grateful that he’s always shared lots of things with me, it’s also a mixed blessing because that sharing ignites some of my personal flaws — worry, micro-management, sticking my nose in — try as I might to keep them inside their Pandora’s Box.
Breathe. Get a grip. These current issues, too, shall pass.
All year, I’ve dutifully printed out all of the e-mails that have passed between Sean and me, with the intention of presenting them to him, in a binder, probably when he graduates from college. He will be able to see that he overcame struggles and accomplished things that he perhaps didn’t think he could achieve at the time.
Flipping through them as I was putting them into the binder made me realize that things that had me all in a dither this year have passed and been replaced by other dither-inducers, which have been surpassed by yet more dither-inducers, and so on. But looking back, none of them seem to have had much of a lasting effect. This is definitely a reminder to follow that oft-quoted advice to ask yourself, when you’re upset or worried, “Will this matter in a week? Or a year? Or 10 years?” Almost always — unless the house is on fire or you’re turning down the job of a lifetime — the answer is no.
Another killer-great oldie-but-goodie is “This, too, shall pass,” which should be my mantra as Sean navigates his current life issues. Although I’m very grateful that he’s always shared lots of things with me, it’s also a mixed blessing because that sharing ignites some of my personal flaws — worry, micro-management, sticking my nose in — try as I might to keep them inside their Pandora’s Box.
Breathe. Get a grip. These current issues, too, shall pass.
