Article June 29, 1998 Issue

Oil the gears of daily life

You don't have to feel stress.

By Geraldine Schiering

LIKE AN ENGINE with many working parts, daily life is complex. Some days the schedule of activities is so full that every detail has to mesh exactly so that we can carry it off.

Personal and family demands, career responsibilities, community interests, church participation, whatever of these are part of our lives, they deserve their rightful place. But are these interests and responsibilities becoming burdensome and stressful? Have we allowed ourselves to be a victim of our full schedules, rather than the beneficiary of them?

An engine needs oil to run smoothly. Without lubrication, machinery builds friction and produces heat. The gears may lock, leaving the parts subject to corrosion and rust. The same is true for our schedules and our lives. When we are so much on the go, faced with traffic congestion, waiting in lines for routine purchases, dealing with unexpected changes in daily schedules, we all need some oil to lubricant our day.