Okay okay, enough Elphaba – we’re not here to to quote musicals (although that sounds like a fun blog post, amiright?!?). I have been feeling a change lately. I’m sure it will be ever evolving, and that I will experience changes like this in good and bad ways for the rest of my life – but just for now, at this minute, I’m pretty happy about it.
The change is about anger. When I guest posted on DivineintheDaily.com for the “Special Mamas” series about being mother to a child with a rare genetic disability, my post was riddled with anger and doubt. I’m not sure if writing that piece was a turning point, or if it is just coincidence, but lately I’ve been seeing glimmers of light through The Shadow that has lain over me since Teagan’s diagnosis. It is becoming clearer that way I feel about the struggles our family faces is something I have some what of a choice in. I can’t change her chromosomes, but I can change the attitude I approach the situation with.
I know my life will continue to be an emotional roller coaster, but I’m going to enjoy being at one of the peaks for a while. When I mentioned these thoughts to my friend Sherry, who has a jr. high aged son with a different rare genetic disability, she shared the story below with me. If you’re been struggling with anger, frustration, something you can let go of, you might appreciate it too.
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”
Remember to put the glass down.
(original source unknown)
Rocking Lion 