I was lucky to spend some time with the grandkids today.
Everyone is stressed.
Their house is topsy turvy because of the city sewage leak. We will host whoever needs a bed while the house is gutted and made whole again.
They all feel anxious.
I said we all feel the weight of the neverending bad news cycle too.
They asked me what I do when I don't know what to do.
I said that I hark back to good advice gifted to me years ago. It goes like...
When you're feeling down and out lift up your head and shout AWE SHIT and then you carry on.
So we went outside and we did just that.
We all felt a smidge better.
I showed them our newest flowers too.
You never know what grandma might do.
Hopefully in a good way not an unhinged presidential kind of way.

@NorcalGma2

When I was in the Army and things were bad, someone would shout: "Embrace the Suck!"

It would break the tension, and be followed by a lot of dark humor. Somehow that shared experience, and knowing we were all enduring it together — even if it got worse (and often did) — would pull us back together in grim determination.

You're only defeated when you give up! 🙂

@chessert
Definitely the same idea. We all deserve a break.