A Miscommunication

October 7, 2021

The night Hurricane Ida hit south Louisiana, we awaited news from a small condo in Florida.

My husband, mother, sister-in-law, and sister-in-law’s dog were scattered around the living room, each engaged with our own devices (the dog slept).

It was a stressful night checking in on friends, regularly refreshing news sites and Twitter feeds for information.

At one point, I gasped audibly and said, “Oh no!” with tears in my eyes.

My mom asked with urgency, “What is it?” assuming some new layer of horror had befallen our city.

I replied, “My favorite person just got asked to leave the tent on The Great British Bake Off.”

Prior to this moment, our fear and worry was palpable in the room.

I’d switched to pastry-based entertainment after recognizing that there was literally nothing helpful I could do in that moment. I also realized my mom and I were supercharging one another’s stress in an unhelpful feedback loop of accelerated anxiety.

Loving reminder: sometimes the best thing we can do is remove ourselves from a situation — give ourselves time to reset and seek out something that offers comfort or joy.

Sometimes looking longingly at delicious food you’ll never get to eat is just what you need.

Do you have a go-to reset or distraction for you these days? Comment and share! I’d love to hear.