Keep the wolf at bay

Turn anxiety into copy

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

My wolf is anxiety, and my prescription is to write

My daughter gave me an edict this evening.

Well, let’s back up. The big news, first, is that she called. She called me.

I’ve gotten used to being grateful for crumbs, and it’s okay. I’m not being facetious. My daughter is giving me all she can now. The important part is, she calls, occasionally, on her own volition. She gives me the amount of time she can manage.

And I am grateful. And I am in awe of her. She is teaching me. She is carving her boundaries in a way I never learned to do. How did she know how to do it?

She actually relaxed on the phone with me tonight. I listened as she told me how she loves her film program and her girlfriend, how good life feels right now.

Then, I went down a weird conversational alley about a friend’s difficult daughters and the untenable position they’ve put my friend in, and my daughter interjected.

“See, mom, see what you’re doing? You’re choosing to worry about other people’s kids, other people’s problems and situations. Why don’t you, every time you get anxious or start worrying about other people, why don’t you write a part of your memoir instead?”