Tuesday, December 15, 2009

I'll take my troubles, please!

In a Los Angeles family court waiting area is a poster with the following saying:

"If everybody put all their problems in one big pile,
upon seeing each others,

we'd grab our own and run!"


Ain't that the truth. As I was about to vetch about some silly complaint of my day to a woman I know, I stopped myself, realizing that my worst day is ten times better than this woman's BEST day. Gratitude can do wonders for lifting your spirits, especially when we see so many needy folks and families around us.

Even on the lighter note of our silly inconveniences, like a payment that got lost in the mail or the perfection of a fresh manicure only lasting half a day, these are so inconsequential in the big picture. It is that big picture perspective that will ground you and bring clarity about what is and what is NOT important.

The drama of your day turns to sand in the wind when you hear on the news that a family in the next town has lost their home and 2 cats to a house fire. Who cares that your husband doesn't put the dishes away, you have a sink.

I will gladly take my troubles from the pile. I will polish them and place them on my mantle.

1 comment:

Sheila T. said...

Ain't that true indeed! As I have spent the last week in a Stressed & Overworked Indulgence of Irritiability & Mood Swings (always coincidently right before vacation) - the one thing that always seems to put things back into perspective is the news of that same house fire or of a vendor's garage burning down or the news of a friend getting into a horrible car accident... it's hard to throw a pity party for oneself for something like a bit of work stress when one is reminded of all the unemployed and everything else we just mentioned...
Thank you, Mary, for reminding me that I will gladly take my troubles and start counting all my blessings more frequently...

Merry Christmas!
Sheila T.