What is it you’re frightened of?asks my warrior side.What fills your heart with such dread?What happened to your coat of bravery you wore so confidently?I feel like a deer sometimes, I answer.I’m not always like you.I want to lie down in flower-kissed pasture,let my eyes close against the sun.I...
Hidden Anxiety “Calm down. There’s no reason to get upset,” my husband says in a quiet, gentle voice. “I am NOT upset!” I respond angrily. “You’re just not hearing me! Why are you making this so hard?” Conversations like this have played out countless times in my 30-year marriage....
Life can change completely in an instant. Many of us are probably well acquainted with this idea. A tiny niggling pain, a doctor’s visit, a diagnosis – and suddenly, nothing will ever be the same again. We constantly live on the edge of this uncertainty. All of us – every day, every...
Anxiety and Shame in Chronic Illness The day was sunny and beautiful as we drove into the parking lot, but I did not feel much beauty in my heart. In fact, sudden tears rose unbidden to the surface as the medical center came into view. I had been to this same parking lot many times in...
Summer Camp and the Unexpected When I was about 8 years old, I went to summer camp for the first time. I wanted to bring a friend, so I invited a girl from school, and she came with me. I thought it would be great to have a buddy around, and I just knew we would have a great time...
