I left work today in teeth-clenching, eye-twitching state. I expressed this to the girls on the way home, saying that I wanted to find a way to relax ahead of what was going to be a fun night—Bryan returns from a long trip away, Katie and Tom are joining us for dinner, and we’re expecting good storms this evening.
I said that I was feeling anxious and stressed, and I asked if they had any suggestions to feel happier—music? Dancing? After I poured my heart out to these two little people, I received two responses.
The first, from Olivia: “I have an owie in my nose.”
The second, from her older (and perhaps wiser) sister: “Well, first, you could stop reading work emails at night. Then, you can go home, take off your heels, and sit on the deck with a drink. Maybe look at shoes online.”
When I caught her eye in the rearview mirror, she said, “What? I know you.”
Indeed.