Nothing Bad is Happening

Snickers (the World's Cutest Rabbit) sometimes suffers indignities at the hands of his mother (me). Indignities such as being taken to the groomer to have his nails clipped and being held and having his butt fur brushed. So, clearly, indignities of the worst kind. To hear Snicks tell it, there is nothing worse than a rabbit indignity. Because when he's put down after one of these harrowing challenges, his heart rate is up super high and he flips his feet at me. (Hater.) I always look at him and say in my calmest voice, "Snicks calm down. Nothing bad is happening to you."

One of his calmer moments.

This past weekend my cousin's son, who is not yet 2, was at my grandparents' house with his grandfather, my uncle. I had never met him before, and he was the cutest little thing! Like any child, he has the tendency to cry when he gets tired or is in a new environment, and he cried a bit. When I was near him and he'd cry, I'd say calmly, "Vinny, why are you crying? Nothing bad is happening to you."

My other uncle and aunt brought their teeny weenie dog over (so cute!) and the little pup whined a little bit. I'd look at him and calmly say,"Petey, why are you whining? Nothing bad is happening to you."

And I realized, maybe this is something I also need to be saying to myself. I am someone who tends toward anxiety, worry, stress and panic. I am super uptight. But most of the time I'm freaking out about things that probably won't really matter in the long run. So maybe I need to start telling myself Anna, nothing bad is happening to you.