“I Worried”

I was reminded of this poem, today - it’s one of my favorites, and one I often share with my clients, some of whom are carrying around with them an immense amount of stress and worry.

I Worried
by Mary Oliver

I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.

It seems that there is so much to worry about in the world these days, and the weight of it is so real and so vivid that we sometimes lose sight of the suffering caused by the act of worrying itself. It’s really not a matter of whether or not we should by worrying, but whether or not it’s helpful to us. Wherever you are and whatever you are going through in your life, I hope that you remember to go out in the morning and sing your song.