What is the Weight of Your Glass?

What is the weight of your glass?

Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students.  As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question.  Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”

Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds. She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter.  It all depends on how long I hold it.  If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light.  If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little.  If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor.  In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”    As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water.  Think about them for a while and nothing happens.  Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little.  Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”

For our guests, the stress of finances, the future and worrying about when they will take their child home – If their child will go home, are all heavy glasses to bear.  One of our guests described her stress by stating “I just want to go in a room and cry and scream.”    At the Ronald McDonald House, we are here to help our guests bear the weight of their glass.  We know it’s important to let go of stress and worries.  However, we also know letting go is hard to do.   We are determined to walk beside our guests and support them in their journey to set it down, let it go…..

What is the weight of your glass today?  Are you willing to set it down?