Why do we worry?

When I started this blog I fully intended for it to be a place for me to update friends and family about my health. It turns out that right now my health is a pretty boring topic. And, really, that is the way I like it!


I've been working with Brad's aunt who is a Doctor of Naturopathy and we have talked about everything from fresh fruit and veggie juicing to cell regeneration to the effects of stress on a body. This week several things have happed that have made me think about all the worries that cause us stress. What do we worry about anyway? Is it work drama, family drama, lack of money, paperwork, deadlines, housework, kids, pets, total lack of time, failure, health?


This week I inadvertantly walked into a conversation between a parent and the aide in Trent's classroom. The parent was obviously upset about a book that had been read the previous day about the presidency and the White House. I knew they had read this book because Trent had told me that they were, "learning about voting and that the president was really lucky because there is a bowling alley and movie theater in the White House." I volunteer in the classroom and have seen the book on the shelf. It is from Scholastic and written on an elementary grade level. Apparently, the child of this particular mom had come home with a different interpretation of the book and the mom was very upset because she thought the teachers were trying to impose particular political views on the students. The next day, while we were signing in for a field trip the same mom cornered the teacher saying that her, 'husband will be in to discuss this matter.' It was obvious that the mom had spent a lot of time worrying about this, it was causing her a lot of stress, and she was more than happy to discuss it LOUDLY with as many people within earshot as possible.

Also this week, a co-worker of Brad's was on day 14 of a medically induced coma. The day before Easter this late 40-something guy suddenly got a terrible headache. When he started to black out his wife called the ambulance he was rushed to the hospital and into emergency brain surgery. He had an aneurysm and several strokes. On Friday they removed all life support and he was breathing on his own however, the doctors told his wife that his brain had sustained major damage and suggested she think about removing the feeding tube. She has been sitting in that hospital worrying since the day before Easter. Brad got word this morning that he passed away last night.

Sometimes I wonder why I have spent so much of my life worrying about things that are absolutely out of my control. Letting go and trying not to sweat the small stuff has been particularly difficult for me since I am a typical type A personality complete with daily to-do lists and a driving need to control every detail of every thing. I will never be glad that I have cancer, but I can say that it has helped me try to recognize that there are so many things I can't control. I am a work in progress.