Dealing with the Stress of Death

My favorite aunt died last night. She has always had a special place in my heart. She took care of me for a while when I was a teenager. She took in a stray dog I brought home and wasn't allowed to keep. Ironically, I took her dog in just a few days ago because she went to the hospital. I think it gave her peace to know her dog was going to a good home and would be safe. She loved dogs and had hundreds of them over the years. I hope that all the dogs she ever loved were waiting to greet her in heaven.

An interesting thing happens when I face this kind of stress. Most stress brings on cravings, but stress from extreme things such as death makes me lose my appetite. So, all I ate all day was a banana. By evening, I was famished and went with my family to Golden Corral which is my favorite restaurant because they have all sorts of fresh veggies. I usually overeat when I go to a buffet and tonight was no exception. But in the back of my mind is a very real awareness that diet plays a major role in how well we feel, what meds we have to take, and the quality of our life. My aunt took several different kinds of medicine, over ten I think and was still in constant pain. Life should be more than that. With those thoughts in mind and a heavy heart, I skipped dessert.

My aunt loved to take baths. She would spend hours in the tub, relaxing with her music playing softly or reading a book while she soaked in fragrant floral scents. She left lots of bath soaps and salts behind. I'm usually one for quick showers, but I think I'll put some of her lavender beads in a tub of warm water and see if it melts some stress away.

Aunt Wilma was a huge Gordon Lightfoot fan. She called him "my man." This one is for her. I will forever think of her when I hear a Gordy song.