In Five Years...

My daughter said the other night that, so far, 2010 has not been a very good year. I think she gave it a "3" on a scale of 1 - 10. That being said, no one is sick, no one has died, we have all have a roof over our heads and food a plenty. A bunch of little, crummy things have happened that really can make life feel messy, annoying and less than great. This messiness came to mind when I read this sentence today. Through all of life's situations, you must always ask yourself ~ "In five years, will this matter?"
If we continue to ask ourselves if this, whatever "this" is for us today, will matter in five years, it forces us to put it in perspective and and not let it consume us. I remember back when my son wore his pants so low you could see most of his boxers. It made me annoyed every time I looked at him. My husband, old soul that he has always been, would continually say, "Does it really matter?" I thought his sloppy appearance reflected on my mothering skills and I was embarrassed. Today, he wears his pants like any other grown up. He is neat and tidy about his appearance. Does THIS reflect on my mothering skills any more than the low pants did? Probably not. It reflects to what was cool and fashionable to a young teenager versus a twenty something adult.
The next time you feel weighed down by something going on in your life, remember to ask yourself the question, "In five years, will this matter?" Kind of takes the steam out of many arguments and the anxiety out of many situations. Just breathe!