Whew! Now might be a good time to take a pause and breathe. All together now: Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Feel a little bit better? I hope so. Because this small act of pausing and breathing can help us to face our daily challenges — which are plenty!
Individually, our challenges are to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.
Collectively, we must face the challenges of living through this pandemic.
And, if that’s not enough, we must also face the challenges of living through what has probably been the most contentious and fraught election of our lifetimes. Which means by the time you read this, regardless of how we voted, chances are half of us are probably not very happy at the moment.
But I’ve always thought that if I want to feel happy, I must give myself something to laugh about or even just to smile about. Here’s a book that makes me smile: “Live and Learn and Pass It On – People ages 5 to 95 share what they’ve discovered about life, love, and other good stuff” by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.:
“I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be a pain.” — Age 82
“I’ve learned that if I’m in trouble at school, I’m in more trouble at home.” — Age 11
“I’ve learned that a mule dressed in a tuxedo is still a mule.” — Age 80
“I’ve learned that if you laugh and drink soda pop at the same time, it will come out your nose. — Age 7
“I’ve learned that wherever I go, the world’s worst drivers have followed me there. — Age 29
“I’ve learned that there are four ages of men: (1)when you believe in Santa Claus, (2) when you don’t believe in Santa Claus, (3) when you are Santa Claus, and (4) when you look like Santa Claus” — Age 51
Quite a lot of wisdom along with the humor, don’t you think?
And speaking of wisdom, here’s another little book I’ve come across: “Mental Floss.” Just the name itself is funny. The subtitle is “Rx: For optimum mental hygiene, practice flossing the mind daily to eliminate the accumulation and retention of debris, disease and decay caused by a lifetime of stinkin’ thinkin.’” by Dr. Marilyn Gellis. Here’s a few examples:
“What you have become is the price you paid to get what you used to want.”
“The difficulties of life are intended to make us better — not bitter.”
And she cites what’s been said to us by all of our mothers: “Careful what you wish for, you’re liable to get it.”
And speaking of mothers, one of my favorite memories that always makes me laugh is when my mother and I would shop at an old department store called Kleins. When she saw a dress she wanted, it was always too much money. So, she decided she would move it to a lower priced rack. It eventually wound up being marked down to $10, which was her top price. She did this over and over again because it worked!
Breathing, smiling, and laughing will help us face our challenges — now and in the future.
Until next time ... keep thinking the good thoughts.