Susan LaffertyBack in the day we studied our stress by listing losses. Marking life experiences.
All the cross-cultural moves. Illnesses. Births. Deaths. Evacuations.
Added up, the numbers were telling.
Stress levels confirmed.
Unfolding year before us. Already scheduled with best-laid plans that can so quickly come apart. Scatter.
The unexpected changes calendars. Disrupts orderly lives. Next steps.
A look back at the past year is case-in-point.
In December, a treasured necklace from Japan falls on the floor. Breaks.
And I get on my knees. Gathering broken pieces. Fragments.
Trying to put the puzzle back together. But it sits.
Incomplete.
So I place what remains in a bowl. Not ready to give up on it yet. Perhaps a shard or two skittered under a cabinet.
