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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

 

Remember how long January was? I believe I clocked it as having 76 days. I kind of miss January. I was innocent and naïve. My biggest concern was that I hadn’t seen the sun in a few days or that I needed to shovel. I was foolish to complain about such petty things.

When I was thinking about what to write today, the Serenity Prayer came to my mind: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” These words have been on repeat in my mind lately. So many things to get upset or complain about, yet so many people (myself included) are lacking the wisdom to distinguish which things are worth our energy.

I go check my Facebook, and apparently a lot of my friends have medical backgrounds all of a sudden. My actual nurse and doctor friends seem to be on the same page. Wash your hands, wear a mask and be safe. This new group of self-taught med school grads all have different opinions on the matter.

I think having an opinion is awesome. I think posting nonsense on your personal social media platform is great, too. I think going to other pages and harrassing those who have a different opinion than you, is not OK. I mean, come on people. We’ve been on lockdown; we weren’t raised in a barn. Let’s not forget our manners.

The governor is doing what he was elected to do: trying to protect our state and its inhabitants. I can’t imagine how hard his job is right now. No matter what decision he comes to, there will still be a group of people who will disagree. After the last announcement, I ate my weight in ice cream. Did it help? Of course not. Did it temporarily make me forget how bummed I was? Of course. Ice cream heals all wounds.

I’ve had a couple calls at my job asking when we’ll be open. I don’t mind those. It’s nice to chat up the people we use to see on a regular basis. I’ve also had a few not-so-nice calls. People are so upset that they are now harassing people over the phone. I have friends who own small businesses and they’ve experienced it. Ninety-nine percent of customers are awesome. But doggone that 1%.

I go back to how everyone handles stress differently. I take a deep breath and remind myself that I can only control my own attitude. I repeat the Serenity Prayer in my mind, reminding myself that there is so much in this world right now that I have zero control over.

I have no control on when my workplace will open back up. I have zero control on which direction the governor is going to turn the dial during the next conference. I can’t control who’s going to call me tomorrow and whether they are going to yell at me or shoot the breeze.

I can control what my family is having for dinner tonight. I can control the energy that I bring into my home and share with my family. I have 100% control on how often and for how long I wash my hands. If I’m being honest with myself, I also have control over whether I eat my weight in ice cream the next time I get bummed out. Perhaps next time I’ll be wise enough to remember this.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams.