Sandy Supposes....

Mood Enhancements

PROMPT March 23rd

What do you do to improve your mood when you are sad? If you are frustrated or angry, what is your secret to feeling better?

         When I'm feeling blue and the logistics of a face-to-face meeting are insurmountable, I treat myself to a Facetime visit. It's all so Jetson'ish, but I can see a familiar visage as we speak. As a matter of fact, I heard the distinct warble that announces such a splendid phone call just a few moments ago.

          I answered to be greeted by the grinning ,close-up face of my two-year old grandgiggle, Alexandra. She burbled, "Nanna!" and then scampered out of visual range. I watched her twirl and skip as the phone's screen sought her out and followed her.

         In the kitchen, she built a tower from canned and bottled goods she swiped from a corner cupboard. With an "oh no" and one sweep of her arm, Alexandra knocked her creation to the floor. Via the camera scan, I chased rolling cans and I glimpsed a blur of the ceiling. After a bit of coaxing, she returned everything to its rightful shelf while muttering, "thank you."

         I heard and witnessed her search for 'chat', a pink, scraggly cat. She dragged a favourite pink blanket behind her.

         While my daughter, Danielle and I chatted, Alexandra plopped herself in her mother's lap for a brief thumb-sucking break. Recharged she jumped and rolled across the couch. She returned to stare into the phone and contort her face into a few skewed poses to hear me laugh. She is working on a wink.

         After a few 'byes', I took the hint and bid my daughter and grandgiggle adieu. What a great mood enhancement without the four-hour drive. I'll travel in person for Easter.

         Dancing, or what I as a klutz refer to as dancing, and belting out song lyrics to upbeat music never fails to improve my melancholy. Most likely my increased heart rate and gasping for air add to my euphoria. Just being grateful that my breathing eventually returns to normal banishes any blue emotions.

         If I experience anger, or frustration, I force myself to get moving. Yep, I punish my poor, unprepared muscles. There's nothing like a brisk march when the ol' blood is boiling. It might as well pump for a good reason.

          I try not to throw things. This is usually a regrettable reaction that only leads to self-anger as I clean, repair, replace the airborne objects. Flying missiles fail to solve anything.

         Now, having said this, I must admit to one moment of passionate fury. Many years ago, my hubby restored a jeep for his brother. For months, he welded, sanded and painted in our garage. One fine morning, Tim, my bro-in-law, confronted me and I lost it. Suffice it to say, I'd discovered some 'irregularities', financial irregularities instigated by Tim. I demanded that he remove his jeep from 'my' property, but before he could do so, I exploded. Only one last piece remained to be installed on that finished vehicle and it stood leaning against a wall. I picked up the brand new windshield and let it drop on the driveway, smashing it to smithereens. Tim had to reverse over that broken glass.

         It felt so satisfying! The shattered glass still covered the asphalt when my husband returned home and this clean-up became one I didn't mind at all. Temper, temper...