How do you deal with small problems? I tried so hard to walk in gratitude this morning, but Albert pulled constantly on the leash and wanted to pee on everything, so I lost my patience. Then once we were home, he got out, off-the-leash, and chased the cats. I was so mad that I screamed the f bomb at him and put him into his kennel…forever!
This is not how I wish to start my day. I want to find peace. I want to drink a hot cup of coffee and read poems.
Thanksgiving break for me was a whirlwind of travel and then family. All great things! Yet yesterday at school, our first day back after the week off, three students were brought to tears. For different reasons, the stress of following directions, the stress of “let’s relate to the character in a deeper way”, and the stress of “I went camping and forget to take my book with me.” It seems to me that kids in general (myself included) do not handle stress as we used to.
What are some ways you handle the little things? I anticipated this time of pre-Christmas frenzy. But it doesn’t help when you are deep into it.
I know that I am okay and normal and my dog is “just a puppy!” Thanks for being here with me on the good days and the bad. As Alexander’s mom wisely said, “Some days are like that. Even in Australia.”
Reflections on the Teche 
Oh, that photo speaks to what I try to give myself each morning—peaceful moments before my husband wakes, or more recently, when the adorable and treasured visiting grandchild wakes, and I delight in our sweet morning look-out-the-window-at-trees moments. Recently during my husband’s post-hospital home recovery from horrible pneumonia, my peaceful morning moments disappeared, and for awhile it was fine because my energies redirected to urgent and meaningful care. But as he grew well, I craved—and today spoke out loud—the need for the me-time to return. And today again, coffee and poetry and the dawn came together.
Thank you for this lovely reminder and validation, Margaret!
Carol, reading your story helps me feel less alone in this quest to keep it together. God bless you for taking care of your grandchild and husband. We have to remember to care for ourselves too.
Margaret, thank you for sharing the frustrations of you and your students. Even Albert was having a day. Some days are definitely like that. I know our world seems less able to handle stress these days. We are in an era that will surely be studied long after we are gone. Thank you also for your last hopeful and grateful paragraph. Peace to you.
I know that I am okay and normal and my dog is “just a puppy! This line says it all! I had one of those days over the weekend when dear grandson could not stop pretending to yell for help. He thought it was funny. I not so much! I turned by back took several deep breaths and then changed what we were doing to something very different. The breathing and change helped us both. We actually got up and moved to a different location. I was doing what ever I could to break the energy of that moment. Small steps to something new! Thanks for sharing – we all need to remember to be kind to ourselves in these wild days.
Great advice. Do something different!
What’s there to do at times like these? Not much. Breathing, taking a balcony view, reminding oneself that this too shall pass. Later talking and writing things out as you did. Showing self-compassion. I suspect you knew this already. 🙂
Margaret, I’m glad you shared your story – – yes, there are days like that when I, too, want to put the boys in their kennels forever. You help me know that it’s another day, and tomorrow will be better. Little Albert needed a timeout to consider all the things he can do better. I’ll bet he has done a lot of reflecting and will come out with a good effort to be the best he can be. He’s probably showing out because of Stowaway. He doesn’t want any new cute kitten getting any of his attention,