My oldest son has been studying changes in ecosystems this week. The definition of "stress" is a good one. "A stress is any physical hazard to life caused by having too much or too little of things needed for life" (Science 5, BJU Press, p. 202). Friday morning, I was reading about how we are created for balance in Debbie Macomber's Knit Together. Much of this chapter focuses on what we need to do to maintain balance, which in turn means avoid stress. My week started out full of stress--mostly created by my own unmet expectations--and ended surprisingly calm. Why? Perhaps because I adapted as do most living things when faced with stress. Perhaps I used my God-given instincts better on Thursday than I did on Monday. Perhaps I realized that survival isn't always a battle but a means of grace. There is something gratifying about work done and done well. No doubt. But, there is something altogether soothing about taking a day away with people we love and enjoying an outing. I have taken my boys to the zoo many times, but I have never enjoyed it more than I did this week. Watching my oldest take pictures. Seeing my boys clap for a leaping dolphin. Letting them have that last treat for the long ride home. Yes, life can be much like a zoo. But, sometimes the best thing is to enjoy it for the visit it is and see it for all its beauty and variety. Not too much. Not too little. Just enough.