Last weekend 3-year-old Angus and I went on a hike.  We ended up on some big rocks that dropped off into the ocean and he wanted to climb up a sheer cliff.  I wasn’t going to let him.  So he had a meltdown and I got to carry him back. 

It ocurred to me that he might be having a tough time coping because it was mid-morning and he needed a snack.  And a drink. Sure enough I plopped him in his car seat, handed him some nacho chips and he was a happy camper.  He hums while he eat so he literally sounds like a happy camper.

At first I was like, sigh, he’s such a toddler.  But you know, I do this kind of stuff all the time and I should know better.  I make life harder by not attending to the basics.  I always feel like ‘yeah i can cope with that’ but what am I looking for - a medal for overcoming hardship?  Why do I make things harder than they need to be? 

Here are some examples from earlier this week.

- I booked an 8:00 a.m. dentist appointment for a Monday.  What was I thinking?  Aren’t Mondays challenging enough?  Rating - thumbs down.

- I brought my ipod to the dentist and listened to Joss Stone instead of metal tools scraping the scunge off my teeth.  Or attempting small talk with a mouth full of latex fingers.  Rating - thumbs up.

- I stopped at the bathroom before I got in my car for the drive to the office.  Sure I could have made it without wetting myself, but why not take care of these things when a bathroom sign is in sight?  Rating - thumbs up.

- I made the conscious decision not to rush on the roads even though I was later than I would have liked.  Sure I could have gotten there 3 or 4 minutes earlier, but was relaxed and I didn’t cause any accidents.  Rating - thumbs up.

- I wore new shoes that are too tight.  Actually i should say “bought shoes that are too tight and then wore them”.  With barefeet.  My heels were skin-free by 10:30 a.m..  Rating - double thumbs down.

September resolution:  life is challenging enough, I need to do what I can to not let it be harder than it needs to be.  I need to be my best ally.