When I was a small child about 8, I got lost in a very large city. Stressful to the max. For someone like me being able to go online and get driving directions is a Godsend. Even then if I am going somewhere here in town, I try to drive there a couple of days before I need to just to make sure I know where I am going.

Like many women, I drive by knowing what building is on the corner where I turn. Yes I generally can tell what direction I am traveling although some times I question the compass on my rear view mirror.

The children and grandchildren know that when I say, We are having an adventure, it means I am lost. My kids, now grown, know the background and they try to help me figure out where we are. They stay very calm in an effort to help me.

It is a funny thing, but having another adult in the car generally keeps me pretty calm. Shared stress can in some ways make the stress smaller or at least manageable.

When parents have to deal with a sick or injured child it is that shared stress that makes the whole thing bearable.

The stress caused by the fear of the unknown can become a driving force in your life.

Turning the focus of your mind to a positive known happy event can help you cope with the worry of an unknown. That worry is your stress. If I spend all my driving time worrying about becoming lost, I could become crippled physically as well as mentally.

Finding your way through the maze of life and all its challenges is stressful. Managing that stress by consciously acknowledging each situation and then finding a way to cope will add years to your life. More important those will be healthy years.

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