How Not to Worry About Your Child in the Midst a Terrorist Plot

I let my 15-year-old daughter go to New York City for four days.
Over New Year’s Eve.

Originally the deal had been that she could go visit her friend by herself, (well, with another 15-year-old… better or worse?) with the caveat that she wouldn’t go to Times Square for New Year’s Eve.

Well, things got all busy with the hubbub around my son’s knee surgery, so it wasn’t until she was up there, and it was New Year’s Eve, and plans had changed and she WAS at Time’s Square that I had time to stop and think about it.

I had been originally worried that she would get separated from the group in the freezing cold and not be able to find her way back to her friend’s apartment.

But now it was the Eve, and I switched on the TV around 11:30, and suddenly the light flicked on in my head: obvious terrorist target.

Jees.

Worry had reared its ugly head.

Worry never helps anyone.

I know you think it does, but it doesn’t.

Worry just FEELS like we are doing something about something.

Somewhere I believe that if I worry enough, that hyper vigilance will lead me to think of the one thing that could save my baby girl.

Now, I know that it feels like if you worry, you have some sort of control over the situation.

But you don’t.

The truth is, you have no control.

You can only make decisions and take action.

The truth is, if you raise your blood pressure/increase your heart rate, can’t focus, breath shallowly and bite your fingernails (aka worry) you are less likely to make the right decisions and take helpful action.

So, what could I have done?

1. Called my daughter and panic her, and lead her to shallow breathing and make poor decisions.
2. Use my mind control over any possible terrorists who made it through the police barriers and checkpoints to wrestle them to the ground.
3. Call the NYC police and block the phone lines that people with real emergencies need.
4. Enjoy New Year’s Eve with my cutie-pie husband and son.

It has taken some practice to slide from my scary thought right into d. , but that’s what this coaching stuff is all about.

I’m loving it!