There is a rule that we had when the kids were younger and were facing a disappointment: you are allowed 24 hours to feel sorry for yourself, then it was time to move on. Emily invoked the rule on me last night as I was wallowing in self-pity. It made me laugh; first, because she was right, but also because she remembered it as a good thing. There were times when I thought I sounded unsympathetic when I used it on her, but dwelling on disappointments can make a person unprepared for new opportunities.
And so, this morning, with 5 hours to go on my allotted time, I find myself dry-eyed and ready to move one. The world is still spinning on its axis, and my life will go on without me even if I don’t choose to participate. It will all be fine - it always is.
