I’m an excitable, anxious person. My calm exterior fools many, but inside, I’m a bundle of nerves, my metabolism churning at the speed of light as I breath through the daily stress called life.

This relaxed façade is something I taught myself over the years: how to control my anxiety, be patient, stay calm. I’ve had years of practice and am pleased to say my hyper-self is somewhat under control. Which is why it should come as no surprise when within a 24-hour period I was literally called – yes, two live phone calls in that short period of time; no texting, but actual voices connecting – because the people on the other end wanted to hear my voice for a sense of balance. And coincidentally, during those conversations, both callers referred to me as “The Voice of Reason.”

Who, me? When did that happen? How did I become the-go-to person for offering sound reasoning, good judgement, or possibly passing no judgement, which might be the actual basis for these phone calls? I adore both callers and would gladly take their phone calls any time, day or night, but the fact that they sought me out because they thought I was grounded was flattering.

The first dial-in came from a sweet child of mine who simply wanted to fill me in on his day. Always polite and kind, he asked first if I was busy before proceeding with the conversation. Does he understand that I’m a mom and will drop everything to take that call? Of course, I’m free, Sweet Child of Mine! The conversation included the typical college angst but not heavy duty; discussing classes, academic projects, rehabbing from a sports related injury, but during the call, he made a point of saying, “Well, I called you because you are ‘The Voice of Reason.’”

I had to pause and think, “Really? Anxiety-riddled me?”

I am glad I have conveyed myself as a steady, self-assured adult to my children, although I have periodically second-guessed myself during the process of child-rearing. But my son is correct; I am very good at ‘Talking People Off the Ledge’ as I like to call it. That might be my specialty. Which is what also occurred during the second live encounter I received within this time-frame.

The second call came from a dear college friend who wanted to catch up. We are prone mainly to text conversations because we can ‘talk’ longer via text and it is easier to multi-task while texting. However, it is pleasant and unexpected to hear someone’s live voice in our busy world, and when it’s someone who makes you smile and laugh on the other end, even better.

My friend and co-conspirator in all hi-jinx and I exchanged the normal chit-chat about kids, spouses, weekend plans, sorority gatherings. During the discussion on kids, she shared that she was a bit stressed over her daughter making a travel team; in no uncertain terms, this occurrence would be life-altering for this wonderful working mom. The word travel itself was unnerving; I’ve been there, done that with both of my boys, so I ‘talked her off the ledge,’ reassuring her it would not be as bad as she anticipated and finding the silver lining that was sure to play-out in this new travel world. She also proclaimed that she felt relief after listening to ‘The Voice of Reason.’

I must admit, it’s satisfying to know you can be there solidly for someone when they need to vent, run an idea by you, seek a semi-solution to a nagging problem, or express frustration at a turn of events in their lives. While I don’t claim to have all the answers or even the correct answers, I am a good listener and am able to talk a person through their own personal angst or just make every day happenings seem normal. I like being this voice – and lending an ear – in their lives.

The Voice of Reason has spoken. Enjoy your day…😊