Today I Will Not Worry - IX

Just before the pandemic really hit - in January of 2020 - my 80-year-old dad fell. It was bad and he needed emergency surgery to repair internal injuries. After a few weeks in the hospital, we brought him home and my brother, my mom and I started a pattern of round-the-clock care. He was napping one afternoon and I was surfing social media when an ad for the Today I Will Not Worry strap came up in my feed. At the time, I was balancing my dad's care with caring for my own family, including my autistic tween daughter. I was exhausted from working two 24/7 care-giving jobs at the same time and decided to treat myself. Throughout the weeks we cared for my dad, I remember each time that I raised my hand and saw the beautiful roses. It reminded me that I can only control so much and that I needed to just let other worries go to be what my family needed. My dad ended up making a recovery just before our state locked down. To this day, I pull out my Today I Will Not Worry strap any time I need a reminder to let go what I cannot change.