A young wife called into a
talk radio show to complain about her messy husband and noisy kids. She said she was tired of picking up after
him and reminding her little ones to be quieter.
As soon as she aired her list
of complaints, to which the on-line therapist gave her suggestions on how to
deal with her family, another caller was waiting to pipe in.
This woman in her 70s said
her husband died many years ago and her children have long been gone, having
moved away for careers and to live their lives.
She said she too used to
complain about the same kinds of things.
She said her house is now very quiet.
TOO quiet. And everything is in
place, not a shoe or piece of clothing ‘hanging’ around.
With much wisdom and
reflection, the older woman said it is the very things we complain about that
one day we will miss.
When you walk into your home
and hear the kids yelling or arguing, stop and think, one day they will move
on. When you see your partner’s clothes
or personal property on the kitchen table or floor, stop and think, what if
something were to happen to them.
One of the best advice I was
given in my 30s by a favorite employer of mine was, “Roni, don’t sweat the
small stuff.” He then went on and pretty
much threw everything other than health and real tragedy into the small stuff
category.
Don’t wait until you are
older and you are alone to realize how much you will miss the very things that
bother you now.
Thoughts?
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