small things

No big deal. That's just one small piece of a very big life.

When I heard myself say this the other day, I realized that maybe I actually am gaining a little bit of wisdom and perspective as I age.

Because there's no way I could have said that in my twenties. Everything seemed so big and important and dramatic and all-consuming back then.

Problems required immediate intervention on my part in order to avert certain disaster. Interpersonal conflict quickly triggered fears of epic proportions and had to be straightened out before I could rest again or enjoy anything else. All the areas of my life seemed inextricably tied together, and if one issue was out of place, it threw everything else off.

Nowadays, I usually figure I have at least a minute or two before all heck breaks loose. There are borders around my problems that contain the damage to smaller areas. I rarely feel complete devastation, and if I do, it doesn't last long.

Maybe in a few more decades I'll find myself making a nice cup of tea while I ponder whether it is necessary to take any action at all to solve a problem, or whether things will just shift on their own soon enough ...