For some people, a loss brings an awareness of the fragility of one’s own life. During the bereavement process, the loss can magnify the anxieties and fear of death. If you are embracing this mind-set, long-term, it can become toxic to your health. It is critical to overcome such thinking to enable you to live a life full of rich health.

There are many people in my life who are stuck in this mode of thinking. Their fear has caused them pain and discomfort on a daily basis because they will not risk any type of medical treatment. The anxiety of an unlikely death (perhaps like their loved one’s death) from a medical procedure, or side affect from medicine, or late diagnosis keeps them frozen in their pain. 

Several of my extended family members died from a late stage of cancer that was diagnosed weeks or months before they passed. These loved ones, for the most part, didn’t seek medical treatment during their lifetime. Logically speaking, had these loved ones prioritized their health while they were alive, odds are they would not have passed quickly because of a late diagnosis. They might still be with us.

The message here is to realize we are living in 2011 and the medical world has moved forward; consider your options and do not let fear cause unnecessary suffering. Move beyond this old-school restrictive thinking.

Of course, how you live your life is a personal choice and it really isn’t anyone’s business. However, it is tough to watch from the outside as a loved one suffers pain, pain that might otherwise be manageable through medicine or a medical procedure.

The challenge for the bereaved is to learn from the loss. Put an extra priority on the medical attention of your own life in order to minimize your discomfort and to live your healthiest life. Find the courage to choose your comfort of life over your fear of death. 

If you feel worthy enough to live your life to your fullest, regardless of the adversity you are facing, you will choose a life full of rich health over long-term suffering.

Kathy Williams 2011

Kathryn Williams Raths

I have always had creative threads of inspirations in my life. I can fall into an oil pastel drawing like the average person falls into a good book. It is a grounding process, allowing me to lose myself in my work, lose track of time and escape the pressures of everyday life. Unfortunately, I have not spent much of my life devoting time to my heart's desire; writing and exploring my creative impulses. I'm a single mom first and I've been a full-time employee in the business world for over the past 20 years. I’ve earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science. I live in the cornfields of Ypsilanti with my 2 sons, who are thirteen and fourteen, and my boyfriend, a wonderful man whom inspires and supports my dreams. During 2008, I had some life-altering experiences which have given me a new perspective and enabled me to reprioritize my responsibilities. I lost my father and my job, both of which I devoted much love and energy to and truly treasured. In the aftermath of my father's death, I reached deep within my core and wrote my book, What Can I Say When Words Escape Me, being present during times of sorrow. I can only hope these words of encouragement and nature photos touch your heart and up lift and hug your soul as they have for me. I currently write for the Examiner.com, Detroit market as a Healthy Living Reporter, http://www.examiner.com/x-27409-Detroit-Healthy-Living-Examiner. I'm grateful for my life's journey thus far and thankful for a nurturing, fulfilling future that enables me to reach out and help others struggling with hardship. http://still-waters-counseling.com/kathryn-raths-m-a-llpc/

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