The Sky Is Not Falling

My horoscope reads: Don't let a complicated development intimidate you today. Once you begin your deductions, you'll realize how well equipped you are to easily be able to sort things out.

Did somebody say deductions? That's what my husband, Michael, is working on right now, sitting across from me at the kitchen table. Oh! April 15th, the day that causes headaches and upset stomachs for so many Americans. I get it. But this year I'm letting go of my award winning role as Henny Penny. The sky is not falling.

When I was a single mom, living on a teacher's salary, I didn't worry about the IRS; my first year teaching I made a whopping eighteen thousand dollars. What were they going to take? Taxes were pretty straight forward; here's my little nest, here's what you take out, and here's a little something back for being such a good worker bee.

Ever since I re-married, it's felt way more complicated. In 1999, I left my teaching job for the joyful uncertainty of mid-life motherhood and a free-lance work life. Ten years later, I'm still figuring out the money thing. Or more to the point, part of me just doesn't want to deal with it. I can hear Suze Orman right now, come on girlfriend, take responsibility for your financial well-being. Get in touch with your bottom line for once in your life!

I'm trying, Suze. I'm writing things down, like my mileage, on little slips of paper and stuffing them in an envelope marked 2010. But I should've been doing this last year, which I why I was weepy at breakfast. Michael, understanding guy that he is, hugged me and said, "Honey, this is what everyone goes through who's trying to create their own business. Believe me, I didn't wake up worrying about your mileage." That was a relief.

If you're having dry heaves about tax day, here's a tip. Read the AP snippets on the U.S. World & News page and see if that changes things for you. Here are a few of today's tantalizing headlines: Holder: U.S. still hopes to take bin Laden alive. Anesthesia allergy may complicate execution. That sucks. And today's winner, out of Rock Hill, South Carolina: Police say motel guest hit man with a python.

Now sit back and ask yourself, Did I get hit by a python today?

This might be the best tax day ever. For once, I am not angry at my husband for waiting until the last minute to do our taxes.We're laughing at the kitchen table, talking numbers, scanning bank statements. 2009 was a down year; we don't owe a whole lot. There's that silver lining.

I put the kettle on for tea and we eat dark chocolate kisses (two each) from the glass jar in the cupboard. Michael is whispering sweet nothings to me...

If line 38 is 125, 100 dollars or less, and you did not provide housing to a midwestern displaced individual, multiply $3,650 by the number on line 6d. If not, turn to page 37.

The sky is not falling.