I absolutely agree with you Marcia! Important point you brought up regarding humor, so many times in life perception is problematic and if we ask ourselves "in the end, how important will this be?" I would say 90% of the time most of us would answer... "not important at all." That in of itself, is something to giggle about!

Angela, thank you so much for sharing! I think women have universal stresses. You hit upon one of the most important: health issues. My character, Jean deals with them, too, and obviously fiction is sometimes based on our own lives.We create some of health issues because of stress...which creates more. What I try to do is look at it all with a sardonic eye. How much stress can we let go of if we just laugh? Marcia

For me, when it comes to being stressed, staying present and centered is my best line of defense. I have found that many times in my life that I have felt completely overwhelmed, many times I find myself getting way ahead of myself and not breaking challenges down to one step at a time. I think the most stressful situations I have had to deal with are health issues either for me personally or watching a loved suffer from a health crisis. I know when it comes to these issues it is so important to realize what I can and cannot control. I also know it's so important for me to stay on track by doing what I can do to help alleviate stress by exercising, eating well, and by getting plenty of rest...