Let’s make a new National Holiday, called “Put-Your-Troubles-in-a-Bag-Day.” It will be the day when we all gather every one of our troubles (physical, emotional, familial, financial, etc.), put them in a bag, and then carry the bag around all day while we go about our normal business. And, oh yeah, you would be able to offer to trade your bag with any stranger you choose. Please note, though, that the bags of trouble can be misleading because the bags would be influenced by our perception. For example, very few troubles may be in a really big bag if the holder of that bag is an emotional wreck, while a lot of major, catastrophic troubles may be in a very small bag if the holder of that bag is calm and “cool as a cucumber.”
So, would you trade your bag-of-troubles for a stranger’s? If you would not trade, does that mean you are paralyzed with fear, does it mean that you are happy and content? What does it say about you if you would trade? Would that mean that you are miserable or adventurous? Even though we can’t “trade” our bag with a stranger, a “Maximum Strength Parent” can “inflate” or “deflate” their “bags of trouble” with a little elbow grease, a little positive thinking, and a little bit of sunshine.
