Are you Stressed?

Much like yesterday's post a day question regarding the preference of talk or text, this question has multiple levels to its answer. The shortest answer would be either yes or no, in my case yes, but there is more to it than just being stressed.

The engineer side of me wants to get into the direct physical definition of the question, in which I would be under stress if my body was applying force to a vector of opposite direction, such as holding my daughter up in the superman position. My arm would be under compression, a classification of stress.

Wow, that was a boring explanation.

Mental and emotional stresses are a much more common definition and I am under those as well. Anyone in my position of husband, father, and breadwinner obviously has stressors in their lives, and my life is no different. I don't need to worry about where our next meal is going to come from, or if we'll have money for rent, but I do worry if I'm being responsible enough, and if I'm trying hard enough to provide adequately for my family.

Writing this out makes me realize that my stress is not near what other people feel. One of my coworkers is looking for a home right now, and is currently rooming with a friend of his. He shares a bachelor suite with him, though the way he describes it, he lives in a room with a bed and toilet. They just got a shower curtain the other day, so they have privacy when they shower now.

My family is currently rooming with my in-laws, so we don't technically have a home of our own, we still have our space. Though I wonder about how my daughters' antics are affecting everyone's sleep. Last night my oldest fell asleep in my lap at 8pm. So cute! I put her in her bed, jeans and all, but around midnight she awoke, changed into pajamas, and they remained awake for another hour. I was so tired I didn't hear the alarm this morning. At least not the first one. Or the second. Or the third. Or the fourth. I did hear the fifth time the alarm went off, but if it wasn't for my wife informing me of the hour, I probably would not have gotten out of bed today.

Am I stressed? Yes. Will I buckle under the pressure of mundane life? No. Will my stress get worse? My oldest is only 3 years old. Ask me again in ten years.