COVID has changed many people, me included. Some things that previously bothered me, no longer do. Well, that isn’t totally true. Some of those things still bother me, I just choose to let some of them go. I have decided to “not sweat the small stuff.” While it is difficult to sometimes differentiate what is small stuff and what is more important, there are some obvious things that fall into both categories.

I had a “small stuff” experience last night when I checked into a hotel that I have been staying in for one to two nights a week while visiting an elderly uncle who has been receiving treatment for cancer. The staff at the hotel have all been great, even recognizing me and calling me by name. Until last night, when the person behind the desk was terrible. He was slow, not seeming to know what he was doing. It was late, and he made check-in a difficult experience. His attitude was not good either. With customer service such a core value of mine, I wanted to complain about him this morning. But I didn’t. I decided to let it go. I do not want to be the one who could adversely impact someone’s livelihood, especially at the time of COVID and all of its challenges. I do not know if I made the right decision or not, but it felt right to me.

Something much more important than occasional bad service at a hotel is my uncle’s condition. He is almost 91 years of age, and just finished six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation for bladder cancer. I do not know many people, or any, with his fortitude and stamina. While he does not feel good, sleeps a lot, and doesn’t have much energy, he never complains. Maybe because he is of the generation that did what needed to be done, without the drama some people express. The rest of us could learn a lesson or two from him.

How are you doing? Have you noticed any changes in your behavior as a result of the pandemic? Do you consciously choose to let the small stuff go, and focus on what is really important?