Sometime between Father’s Day and my birthday, I made the decision to stop worrying. Not to worry less, but to stop worrying, period. One week after my birthday, I can report that I have failed that plan.
The more I thought about this worrying bullshit, the more I realized something... throughout my life, worrying has actually been a positive force. It gets me out of bed early. It pushes me to work harder, love harder, pray harder, and try harder.
I worry about the Shepkids when they’ve had a bad day. I worry about work when volume is light. I worry about friends who are sick or weighed down by life. I even worry about this lemon sitting at the garage, but all of it motivates me to be a better man.
Maybe that’s why I put the sunrise and sunset times on the chalkboard, to remind myself there are still a few things I don’t have to worry about. The sun will rise every morning and set every night, whether I’m ready for it or not. When I talk about the moon and the stars, it’s not just poetry, I’m asking you Chalkheads to look up. Because even if we are miles apart, we are all looking at the same sky. That is a connection that brings us closer.
So, fuck it.
I’m going to keep worrying about the things in my life, I just won’t let it ruin my day. Worrying means that we give a shit. As we march through life, we might worry more or worry less, but if it pushes us to pray, to notice our shadow, to check in with someone, or just show up... it is worth it. Let worry be the reason you go the extra yard, not the excuse to take your ball and go home.
Yesterday started out nice and got stormy. Today is the complete opposite.
... and if you were wondering or worrying about Chet “The Ford” Lemon, he gave me an excuse to get on my bike and go to the bank and over to Riverside Foods. I rode past the garage and he was up on the rack. So soon, I will have one less thing to worry about.
Go find the smile on your sun today and let astonishment shine back on your face.
