A reminder often works.

My true love has been known to fret. Over trivial stuff. Such as going to the beach and discovering it's 65 degrees instead of a more balmy 75. But you won't find me complaining. I take whatever I can get. I'll even settle for 35 degrees. And thank gawd that it isn't freezing. Because I know I am living in Paradise. Doesn't matter whether I'm in Sardinia or in Minnesota. Wherever I am, the weather is beyond my control. So I accept whatever Mother Nature sends us. Even a blizzard and 30 below zero. But nowadays I'm living in Sardinia with my true love. And 65 is balmy. At any time of year. And I'll take it. Especially when I have my true love to keep me warm. Or cool, for that matter. My true love is a teacher. And today she has meetings. At school. Meetings she wishes she didn't have. But hey, that's part of life. I used to have meetings. With editors. Sometimes I wished I could tell an editor to go to hell. And maybe a time or two or three, I did. But generally, I listened. And learned something about writing. About getting along with people, too. Anyway, I've learned to cultivate a loving relationship with a beautiful and intelligent Italian woman. She occasionally frets over this and that. But I keep reminding her that we have each other. Usually, that works. --Jim Broede