Even keel

There was a day when I was perhaps 20 or 21 that I was visiting an older woman's house on the island. One of her (younger, but middle-aged) friends came in to visit. The friend walked in, noticed me, didn't find my presence of any particular importance, and said, matter-of-factly, "well, mother died." I was shocked. Then they discussed the sudden impact of her death and the older woman said "well, wasn't it a wonderful time for her to go?" This was not a heartless discussion. The woman did love her mother, and on some level it had been a painful shock, but at the same time, it was what it was. (I guess?) There is a phrase that comes to mind when life is going pretty okay. It's not high and butterflies-in-the-stomach (elated but part of you fearing how it will feel when you will crash) it's not low and screaming into a pillow, or moaning like a beast, because you just don't know what to do. It's like you look out on the horizon, and you can see things from a larger perspective. You can take in the whole view. It's even keel.