Did you mit·i·gate today?

The act of mitigating, or lessening the force or intensity of something unpleasant, as wrath, pain, grief, or extreme circumstances: Social support is the most important factor in the mitigation of stress among adolescents. The act of making a condition or consequence less severe: the mitigation of a punishment.

 To mitigate is to make less severe, serious, or painful • alleviate • reduce • diminish • lessen • weaken • lighten • attenuate • take the edge off • allay • ease • assuage • palliate • cushion • damp • deaden • dull • appease • soothe • relieve • help • soften • temper • still • quell • quieten • quiet • tone down • blunt • dilute • moderate • modify • abate • lull • pacify • placate • mollify • sweeten • tranquillize • remit • extenuate • excuse • commute

As said in the Bible: In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 5, an alternative for “an eye for an eye” is given by Jesus: You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

What does that have to do with mitigate?

Think of it this way. If we back off some of our bias over-reactions and insults we might mitigate this situation.

Sure these are troubling times and much of what we are told is confusing and being out-of-work and confined with our family might not be our first choices of a ‘good time’ so take a deep breath.

We all are in the spaceship in the unknown. We could all perish no matter how far we stand apart. We could come out on the other side to start over. There are no guarantees. No one has written this script.

Remember those times sitting around with all your friends laughing and smiling and hugging? Those were good times. Those might just be memories or a game plan for when all this is over?

Buying a house feels wonderful until the pipes burst and the roof leaks. Getting married is exciting until someone has to do the laundry.

Those who survive mitigate life’s situations.

Good luck.