There are really two factors that have made this week so difficult. First, the stress and tension of my job have contributed mightily to the air of doom that’s been hanging over me. And the second, related to the first, is how badly I’ve handled things — by which I mean, how easily I’ve given in to the stress and tension and let all that affect me physically and emotionally.

This isn’t to downplay the very real physical and emotional weakness I’ve been feeling. I can know intellectually that I should be handling things better, and still feel as if I’m about to be crushed by an avalanche. All the vision in the world can’t keep you from being hit by that bus if you insist on keeping your eyes closed.

The saving grace is that when it’s outside forces that are bringing me down like this, there’s always the chance that things can turn around. And in fact they always do; otherwise I wouldn’t be here now, because I would have surrendered to the forces of darkness long ago.

All this is a pathetically parenthetical way of saying that, with considerable help from my friends, I survived yesterday’s whatever-that-was. The sun came out today, the work got done, questions got answered, and I found a way to breathe. Yesterday I was panting and gasping. Today it was inhale, exhale, and be grateful that such a profound thing is in the end so simple.