The Beauty of STRUCTURE

Back 20 years ago when I first went off to college, I always had a difficult time feeling anxious. I'd even go home on weekends to escape some of the stress I felt. It was always a sad drive from Bountiful to Provo, just thinking about another week. Anxiety was my tag-along-friend. Often we traveled around together worrying about things. When we saw the Provo/Orem exit, I'd feel a pit in my stomach.

Maybe it shouldn't have suprised me then, when I still had a difficult time going back to school as a teacher. After the weekend, or after a break, I would get that same uneasy feeling in my stomach about returning to my classroom. My seven and eight-year-old students could cheer me up quickly, but somehow I knew that my pal (Mr. Anxiety) would return.

Today I experienced something entirely new. Our holiday break ended and today was the first day "back." But, last night I was so excited for Conor to get to play at preschool and for me to go to the gym with Megan, just like we have every week since September. Instead of getting a stomach ache, this morning I had this exhilarating feeling. My body was craving the structure and predictability. As I ran on the treadmill, I was so happy. It wasn't about sending Conor off to school as much as it was about returning to a daily routine. I have certainly remained friends with Mr. Tag-a-long in my role as a parent. But I have found that my new friend, Mrs. Predictability, often smooths out my relationship with Mr. Anxiety. (I must also add that my best friend Brian has taught me a lot about remaining calm in life. He is Mr. Relaxed, Mr. Forgiving, and Mr. Positive.)

Cheers to STRUCTURE!