When I was a graduate student in Missouri, a friend gave me a tiny box of worry dolls (about three inches in total length) that she had bought while traveling in Mexico. If you’ve never heard of worry dolls, the idea is that you whisper your worries to them before you go to sleep, giving your worries to the dolls, and you wake up without your worries in the morning.
I liked the gift very much, but the wisdom of worry dolls has only become clearer to me as I’ve grown older. By whispering our worries out loud, we bring our secret fears out of the nebulous shadows and into words, which is powerful in itself. By clearing our mind before we go to sleep, we increase the likelihood of deeper, more restorative sleep, which generally puts us in a better frame of mind when we wake up to the bright sunshine. And it is often easier to hand our worries over to worry dolls, like handing the baton to the next person in the relay race, instead of trying not to think about them. After all, if someone tells you not to think of a purple elephant in a pink tutu, what’s the one thing that can’t get out of your mind?
Worry dolls are sometimes used in hospitals for children who are undergoing frightening tests and treatments. I’ve even seen them on people’s office desks or computer monitors (do you think worry dolls become exhausted in a stressful work environment?)
Some people "turn it over to God" each night, which means giving their worries to the Divine instead of worry dolls, and I fully support that practice, too. Whether you turn your worries over to the Divine or your own purchased/homemade set of worry dolls or another source, may you give those worries away every night and take a break from worrying!
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Dearest deb,
it will work magic on a lot of nerves, i practice the second thing which you said I bore God.
Wish you love, peace and happiness.
Trisha
LOL — you bore God with your worries?? Dearest Trisha, there are so many things that perplex me, but I feel so utterly certain that you never bore Her.
You're wonderful!
Peace and love,
Dr. Deb
That's funny. I sometimes feel as though I bore God as well. Like she says "oh no, not her again" and then nods off during my prayer. LOL I guess what this really means is that I bore myself and I am tired of all my needless worrying. LOL
Great post, Deb. Thanks
Ms Cosmiccat
Ms. Cosmiccat, I think you're spot on! I don't think God is ever bored by anyone because God is Love and Infinite Patience. I agree with you that *we* can grow bored by our own worrying and then project that onto God.
Love your insightful comment, thanks!
Peace and love,
Dr. Deb