Life Entrepreneurs Manage Stress by Looking Forward

After they swim each week, Grandma gives Maddie a quarter to buy a Popsicle treat, but a couple of weeks ago, Grandma looked in her bag and realized she had no money, no quarter, nothing.  She explained to Maddie that this week, there would be no Popsicle.

Maddie looked at the concession stand, and fervently exclaimed that THEY had quarters, and THEY had Popsicles over THERE!  And they just needed to go over there and get them!  Grandma explained that it didn’t work that way, and when they had no money, they couldn’t get a treat.

Now, I very much remember how it feels to be 3 1/2 years old and want something SO BAD, because to tell the truth, when I want something badly today, I feel myself reverting to that same emotion.  When I found out I lost a large sum of money, my first reaction was NO!  It can’t be true!!!!  And I cried.  How different is that from what Maddie did?  Not much.

Maddie cried, and pleaded with her grandma to find a way to get her a Popsicle.

Lida, who has the same gift that many of us grandmothers have, a sense of unconditional love and inner peace when we are around our grandchildren [unlike when we were primary parents and had emotional attachments to their behavior] calmly explained, over and over, that wasn’t going to happen this week.  When Maddie got quiet, Lida reminded her that they had raspberries at home, waiting for them to eat.  She told her she could wash them and eat as many as she wanted when they got back to the house.

Maddie, looked up and exclaimed, “we get to eat raspberries!” and proceeded to inform each person they passed on the way to the car of that wonderful fact.  And she was fine.

And she carefully stood on her stool in Grandma’s kitchen, washed all the berries and put them in a bowl, sat at the counter and enjoyed them, smiling.

I love this story because it reminds me how it turns on a dime.  One moment we can be in the depths of despair and the next, when we find something to look forward to, our life seems to change and we feel hopeful.

I’ve been writing this blog in my mind for a few weeks, and finally got the first bit down then left it in draft form for a few days.  This morning I got a Skype call from one of my dearest friends in France who said he wanted to come visit next month.  Before that call, I was wallowing around in a sort of malaise of feeling lonely–not in despair, just realizing that’s how I feel at this moment in my life.

And now I have something really wonderful to look forward to–a visit!  Some fun adventures!  A dear friend to spend time with!

My heart feels lighter, I have more energy, and I’m more inspired to go do my Pilates and get on with my day.  What a difference it makes to have something to look forward to!!

Love that!