Corgis shed blonde hair — a lot of it. That reminds me of the time we went to visit friends who said, “Be sure to dress in Golden Retriever colors. No matter how often you vacuum, it’s still hair season.” When I walk across the carpet in summer, I’m fine. But as I walk across the carpet in winter,  I gather static — and blonde Corgi hair. So we have a sticky roller near the front door to de-hair ourselves before going out.

My options are to live with the Corgi (and the hair) or send her down the road. I’ll live with the Corgi. Because you see, the dog isn’t really the problem. The static is.

We can encounter static in many forms — grumpy family members, disrespectful drivers, work loads that don’t match our job description, and even our too-frisky horses. The horse who seems to forget his manners on a cold morning is dealing with static, too.

When it comes to static cling, you can try adding an extra dryer sheet to a load of clothes. You can also rub those dryer sheets over your horse. That may help you to not shock him as you take off his blanket. But those fixes are marginal (write me in the comments section below if you have a good solution.)

When it comes to other kinds of static, grace is the best help. When we recognize that static is a normal part of life, we can relax and make arrangements for it. My husband touches my shoulder to discharge any static before he kisses me goodbye in the morning. I slow down when taking my horse’s blanket off, so I don’t zap him. And I try to count to three before I answer someone if I feel the sparks may fly.

That momentary pause to ground ourselves is more important than most people realize. It does more than discharge static electricity. It helps bring calm. It’s the quality we really like in a coach, whose words or touch is energizing, but steadying. It’s the quality we like in a driver, who can navigate hectic traffic without getting riled up. And it’s the quality our horse likes in us, when we sit deep and relaxed instead of perching nervously on the saddle.

Taking an extra moment to ground ourselves won’t make us late. It will do the opposite. It will help us get through the static of life.