Holding It All Together-When All Else Fails
By Amy McCollom
Well, regardless of what is going on in Washington D.C. or anywhere else in this country, there is one thing I know for sure; I cannot do one cotton-picking thing about it. I have not been lax in trying to keep the peace; I have done my duty by voting my beliefs and I continue to pray for our great country to return to a balance of common sense, freedom, and God-loving character as it once was. But until the turning of hearts and minds, who knows what will take place in our land.
My five year-old granddaughter said it best last week. She and her little sister were over and I was watching a little bit of the news. I really just wanted to see the local news for the weather, but had the national news on prior to that. Without realizing it, I started talking back to the television news anchor, like I do on occasion when I get miffed by their one-sided comments.
“Oh blah, blah, blah! As if you know everything! What happened to being neutral?! You are to report the news, not give your stinking opinion! This is the problem with America! The media manipulates the real news and spreads the story it wants the world to believe, whether it is true or not! Just shut up, why don’t you!”
Suddenly I realized my granddaughters were in the room, and Harmony looked up at me and said,
“Why don’t you just turn off the TV? You don’t have to watch that show if it makes you mad, Mimi. My mommy never watches that show. It’s ok. You can just push the button on the remote and it will go off!”
She was absolutely right. Why was I torturing myself by getting frustrated about something I could not control. I am usually not a worry wart. I’m a peacemaker, a problem-solver, a fixer of things that are broken. I have to stay level-headed; I’m a mom, and a grandma. I also have to know my limits and know what to do when I cannot fix the problem.
So as the middle kid, the problem-solver, the fixer of all things broken, let me just give some common sense advice for what it is worth, in this crazy world as we see it today. Maybe it will help us all to keep our sanity while the world seems to be going berserk.
When All Else Fails
1. Pray. God’s got this. God is bigger than any problems we might face. He made this world, and he made us. The only thing we should be afraid of is not being in good graces with HIM. But if He is on our side, there is nothing or no one that can come against us. Jesus made sure of that. Even in death He won the victory; thus we have also. Pray, fear only God, and trust that God is with us, always.
2. Laugh. Laughing releases feel-good endorphins in our brains and gives us comfort. So play games, tell jokes, watch comedian videos, tell funny stories. Laughter is good medicine and lifts the spirit. Try it.
3. Eat. Bake a cake. Make a pie. Mac and cheese, or goulash, or a big pot of soup. Cookies perhaps. They don’t call it comfort food for nothing. In times of trouble or distress, as in times of celebration, diets should go out the window. Food is a natural comforting element from the stages of infancy. And might I add, a hot cup of tea is the perfect addition to a sweet cake or biscuit.
4. Read. Turn off the TV and stay off of social media. Take a break from the news and negativity for a while, and dust off a book or two. Remember reading? Oh how I miss feeling the paper pages and the weight of the cover in my hands. Can you do it or are you too addicted to digital media formats? Let’s find out.
Pray, laugh, eat, read. And turn off that darn television. This is what I think, so take it or leave it. I wish you all good health and a blessed week. Until next time.
(The views and opinions expressed in the submitted columns are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Journal.)