I’ve discovered the secret to inner serenity! (And none too damned soon, either.)

No, it’s not yoga.

No, it’s not meditation.

No, it’s not even a quart of Ben & Jerry’s. *grin*

It’s a combination of remembering that “I am too pretty for this shit,” holding a tiny baby for at least 30 minutes every day or two, and throwing unnecessary stuff away.

That’s all, folks.

Holding Jonathan reminds me that the largest miracles come in the smallest, most ordinary packages. I joke that the way he settles down from being Mr. Super Fussy every time I hold him means that I’ve got baby-sedative in my aura, but Claire swears it’s because I’m one of the most grounded people she knows. If I hadn’t been holding her infant at the time, I would have fallen over at the shock of that label being applied to me…but I have become really grounded in the last few years. I just hadn’t noticed it!

And every time I get irritated with something — no matter how big or small — I just remember that, “I am too pretty for this shit!” If the irritant is major, I immediately do something about changing it. If the irritant is minor, I blow it off (and usually laugh at the people who are stressing out over it — after all, I’m serene, not nicey-nice!).

And throwing stuff away that’s just cluttering up my house is giddily liberating. I’ve tossed out a bunch of stuff, and somehow it makes me feel lighter and freer. My kitchen and the baker’s rack have gotten the treatment, and next I plan on hitting the bathrooms (starting small means building on little successes, and keeps the momentum going!).

And while all of the above is no substitute for mind-blowingly great sex, it’ll do in a pinch. *smirk*