To worry or not worry?

As someone who has experienced my fair share of medical "worries" in the past three years, I still don't always have my priorities correct.  Let's be honest...compared to dealing with breast cancer the last three years, everything else in life should be "gravy", right? But instead, I get hung up on the little things, still, and have to constantly remind myself of the Serenity Prayer.  I cannot control all things and I really shouldn't even try.  Trying to control something that is out of my realm of ability is a futile and silly act.  And yet...
Dave got to come with me this week for my work in Michigan.  What a true pleasure it was to have my own personal driver drop me off (and then promptly leave for a golf course, of course) and pick me up every day of my trainings.  He even carried my bags for me. We got to spend the day, yesterday, on Mackinac Island.  If you haven't been there, and you are ever up in Michigan, you really need to go. It is a beautiful little island on which no motorized vehicles are allowed.  So, how do you get around?  Either by walking, biking, or by horse (with or without carriage).  We took a lovely horse and carriage ride around the island, and our "driver" was great. She said, "There are hundreds of trails available for hiking and biking..." as she is driving her three-horse team on a road that is clearly designated for carriages only, and yet there are people biking towards us. She then said, "....and some people still choose to use these." It made me laugh, but several people looked at the cyclists with glaring looks, as if to say, "Did you hear our driver? You're not supposed to be using this road."  Who cares? I thought.  I just got so tickled at their reactions to the "offenders".  
And yet...when it was time to be seated for lunch, I found myself wanting to tell the people who strode right in the restaurant and went ahead of us, "Excuse me...it is not your turn. We are first."  Dave and I constantly remind each other to use Stephen Covey's habit:  Seek first to understand then to be understood.  I have no idea if those people had already talked to the gal at the hostess desk and were simply coming back in to get seated.  As my spiritual advisor reminds me, so eloquently, "There are two kinds of business:  my business and none of my business".  Truth!

And, after years of lots of air travel, I have come to expect that not every trip is going to go along swimmingly (might not be the best word choice for air travel, but you get it, right?).  There might be delays. There might be weather that causes flight cancellations. I might not get upgraded to a nicer seat or a better room every time.  And yet...even with all that knowledge, I was so frustrated for Dave this morning. He is traveling back home to Tucson and I am traveling to Canada for work this week in Saskatchewan.  He found out, when he got to the airport, that not only had his flight been cancelled, but the next one they put him on was going to be three hours delayed, completing ensuring he would miss his connection to Tucson.  
I wanted so badly to control it.  "They should put you on another airline."  "They should let you go to their airline's club for the day, at least".  "They shouldn't have made you pay for your bag."  These are all things I said to him when I found out.  Turns out I am going to get to my destination in Canada long before he reaches Tucson tonight.  Bummer.  But therein lies the reason for the Serenity Prayer.  I simply have to accept the things I cannot change.  That doesn't mean I have to like it, but it does mean I need to accept it.
But what if I try harder and I can change it?????

Clearly, I have more work to do.  What about you?

For today, I am going to work on my peace and serenity and pray you do, too.

Happy Communicating!!

Shelly