Letting go…of the Gila Monster

“Mom, do you know about the ‘hila’ monster?” “What monster now?” I inquired back. Gauging the uninformed look on my face, the eight-year old went on to enlighten her ignorant mother. “It’s not really a monster; they just call it that... It’s this biiig, very very venomous lizard”. With wide eyes and animated hands, she continued to educate me about the animal world (as she often does). “There aren’t even many poisonous lizards, you know… And it’s spelt with a ‘g’…  G-I-L-A even if it is pronounced ‘hila’,” continued our little-Miss-know-it-all.
 
“And you should always always remember this... If it ever gets on you like this…” (her hand is now on my tummy pretending to be this gila monster) I listened carefully – for the likelihood of this ever happening suddenly seemed very strong; or so it seemed - going by her animated discussion and warnings. “So if it ever gets on you, the trick is to relax. For if you relax, it will fall off. But if you tense up, it will stay put”.

I was finally listening. For to me, that was the most riveting bit of information thus far.

“Wow… what you just said probably applies to everything sweetie – to all our difficulties... When we tense up, nothing will shake off, right? And when we relax…” She rolled her eyes, “Mom! Let’s not talk about all that… I was telling you about the gila monster.” Her indignation made me let go. After all, how could I steal her thunder – especially when it related to big, fat, venomous tropical lizards?

But as her sweet little voice droned on about deserts and lizards, my mind had moved elsewhere. I had been holding on to my own gila monster for the past couple of months. My health woes had worsened, and I had tensed and tightened as a result. How in the world will I be able to shake of the gila monster if I remain thus? For the monster seems to be there. And how can you not tense when you have the gila monster on you? But the trick, as my wise little child had told me was to relax despite the monster.

The cynic in me wants to tell the child to go to her information source and find out exactly "how” to relax despite a fat poisonous lizard on you. The optimist in me wants to take her advice and find a way to relax despite the gila monster.

And just as she said, maybe “it’s not really a monster; they just call it that…”