Sabbath Devotional :: Becoming a Role Model . . . To Myself

Author introduction by Sharlee Mullins Glenn: This week’s devotional is a guest post from Claudia Mills. Claudia is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, a fantastic writer of books for children, and a dear friend. She’s also, like it or not, a role model to everyone who knows her. Thank you, Claudia, for being willing to share this with us. I’m rooting for you, and I know that everyone who reads this will be too.

May we all amaze ourselves.

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I am in the midst of what might be the saddest season of my life so far, dealing with crises of staggering proportions for two family members, with new daily terrors facing me as the one who is charged with Figuring Everything Out: choosing lawyers, choosing rehab facilities, finding the extravagant sums of money needed to pay for it all.

I’ve been tempted to wallow — indeed, I’ve felt downright entitled to wallow. Ecclesiastes tells us, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Right now my time to weep and time to mourn seems also an excellent time for wallowing.

Except that while I do need to weep and I do need to mourn, wallowing really doesn’t seem to be the world’s most satisfying activity. So instead I decided to give myself a project (oh, how I love projects). What if I try to face these challenges with as much grace, dignity, kindness, and good humor as possible? What if I set myself the task of becoming a role model — not to others, I don’t have the hubris to attempt that — but to . . . myself?

I want to amaze myself by having a good, rich, full happy life anyway. I want to be able to look at myself and say, “Wow! I can’t believe Claudia can be so wise and kind and funny and productive given all she is going through!” I’m lost in the dark wood. I want to be the one to show myself the path out of the forest.

So of course I made some lists.

1. Breathe. This has already proven so helpful!

2. Keep on walking 10,000 steps a day — ditto!

3. Be kind to everyone involved.

4. Give yourself as much help as you can: medication, therapy, love and support from friends. If anyone offers any assistance whatsoever, say, “Yes, thank you!”

5. Avoid apocalyptic thinking. Do NOT assume your life is over. Do not assume your family can never recover from this. Remember that you know NOTHING of what is going to happen, because, to quote a famous physicist, “Prediction is difficult, especially about the future.” Repeat these words hourly: “You know nothing. Anything can happen. You know nothing. Anything can happen.” ALL I know is that it’s going be hard, but I’m good at doing hard things. I’ve had plenty of experience.

6. Get some actual work done this month, too. Philosopher/theologian Miguel de Unamuno has told us, “Work is the only practical consolation for having been born.” I’m going to try to do a stunning, rabble-rousing job as a closing keynote speaker at this month’s Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference — where my subject is (ironically? appropriately?): living a creative life of joy.

7. Listen as needed to this recording of the gospel song “I Still Have Joy.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWjaUPdU1hY

8. Pray. Pray some more.

That’s the plan. There have already been a few wobbles along the way. But it’s a good plan. I hope Claudia can help Claudia out of this mess. I’m rooting for her, and for me, and for all of us.