On tough days…

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about our nephew, a Senior Master Sergeant in the US Air Force, and praying he doesn’t get deployed to fight in a war.

Then on Friday, my husband noticed the poor stock market performance while watching TV, and we spent the evening discussing how to move more of his retirement money into a bond fund for safety. We’ve experienced recessions and bear markets before. As we age, we realize we don’t have as much time to recover from them as we used to so we hope we’re making wise decisions.

When I first woke up this morning, I saw the little quilt I finished binding last night draped over the arm of the couch. It’s made with expensive quilt shop purchased fabrics so I’ve been trying to decide “do I save it for the next time I need a new baby gift or, should I donate it?” I’m lucky I have that choice, but it’s disheartening to see the rising costs driving many people away from the craft altogether.

I felt a bit of melancholy, and starting my day an hour later because of the time change didn’t help. I didn’t feel like going for a walk, not one bit! An angel on my shoulder said, “Nothing gets better by not taking care of yourself. Just do it.” So, I got dressed and put on my sneakers, then stepped outside.

There was a light breeze and enough clouds in the sky to make the heat bearable. One of the first things I noticed when I began walking was the rose bush at the front of our home. My husband rescued it from a house in a neighborhood that was being demolished for airport expansion over 25 years ago. We have no idea how old it already was when he dug it up and transplanted it. A year or so later, we moved to our current home, and it was relocated once again. Today, it’s absolutely covered in blooms, and that gave me reason to smile.

After my 2.5 mile walk, I drank some water and sat down to schedule my Shingrix vaccine booster. With the walk finished and scheduling the booster shot both out of the way, I decided to take that little baby quilt outside for a photo before I folded it up and put it away.

Those few small actions have changed my whole mood. I started getting more ideas for little NICU quilts that I can work on at my Thursday quilting bee. I feel like doing stuff rather than planting myself in front of the t.v. which is how I woke up feeling.

I realized there are things I can’t control, like foreign wars, but I can take actions to improve my health and safeguard our financial future. I have to force myself to do them, especially when I don’t feel like it!

Burying your head in the sand is never a good thing and it’s important to be informed, however; when the news is depressing and I can’t seem to shake the feeling I need to remind myself that there are things I can control – like making quilts to donate. They help me feel better and, hopefully, the recipient too. It may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things and if I’m being honest, it is. When my choices though are to worry about things I can’t change or, to do something small. I’ll choose to do something small.

On tough days, it helps to Believe There is Good in the World and Be the Good.