Silver Lining

My Monday sucked. It started out so-so and then went to hell fast on the wings of a stupid email. I received the email just before noon. I read it. I read it again in disbelief. I felt myself quickly growing angry. My ego told me to respond in kind. I did not. Instead I kept my scheduled appointment with the chiropractor. Or at least I tried to keep it. I turned into a sobbing wreck on the table and had to leave the appointment. I came home; read the email again; walked Melvin; read the email again; ate a bowl of soup; worked for a while; re-read the email; worked the rest of the afternoon; read the email one more time; then laid down and immediately fell into a deep sleep. Later I cried, cleaned house, talked on the phone, read the email a few more times, and cried some more.

Have you ever burned yourself on the stove? Or while ironing maybe? It hurts! But did you keep returning to the source of the pain for another hit? Did you say to yourself, "that really hurt; let me try it again and see if it burns as much the second, third, tenth time?" Now that's crazy. But that's what I did. Over a dumb email. This morning, I deleted the email, and emptied my trash folder. I let it go, both literally and figuratively.

Yesterday's silver lining? I did not manage my pain with food.