Chill out

It’s not even New Year’s Eve yet and already I need to revise my list of resolutions.  I thought I was all set this year; I felt really good about my list.

But today it suddenly became clear that I need to add something.  In fact this is useful not only for 2009 but for the next 48 hours or whatever’s left of 2008.

I need to ….chill out.

Seriously.

I’ve been letting stress get to me. In a multitude of ways.   I’m tense.  I’m tired.  I’m testy.   The causes of my stress don’t really matter.  They are not worth how I’ve been feeling and how I’ve been acting.  I’ve been forgetting what is SERIOUSLY IMPORTANT.  Which is none of the stuff I’ve been stressing about.

I think most of us lose perspective, when we worry about things that seem BIG—but are really small.  At least in the big picture.  We can’t see the big picture at that moment, we are only seeing a small portion of it, blown up to large proportions.

I realized how much I’ve been “sweating the small stuff”—only with a reminder from one of those SERIOUSLY IMPORTANT things: my son Daniel.

My 20 year old son took me aside today and put his arm around me and gave me a little talk.  The kind I once would have given him.  The kind I still might give him someday if I take to heart the one he just gave me.

He gave me the kind of talk I really needed to hear.  Which coming from most kids that age would sound like, “Chill out, Mom.”  Something like that.

Daniel’s insight sparked mine; it  helped me remember the big picture:  how lucky I am by any measure, and especially compared to most people in this country and in this world.  How what we need most is often right in front of us.  How sometimes we miss seeing it.  How lucky we are if we have someone wise enough to point out what we are missing, so we can start seeing  again.

Daniel didn’t suggest  “Chill out” as my New Year’s resolution, but I’m going to add it to my list.  Right at the top.