This morning I woke up to peace and quiet in my beautiful home in Maine. Surrounded by snow-covered woods, the view out every window looked like a scene from a Hallmark Christmas card. The only disturbance was the soft meowing of my cat, who of course needed something. On my nightstand was a travel mug full of coffee left for me by my husband who had gone to the gym early. All was right with the world.
Then I turned on the TV.
Suddenly I was deeply immersed in a nightmare world of ballistic missiles destroying buildings and uprooting lives in distant countries. A beautiful college freshman was fatally shot on the street, for no apparent reason, by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant with a long criminal record. Two pilots were dead and many people injured after a runway crash at LaGuardia Airport between a passenger jet and a fire truck.
By all reports, most medical conditions are either caused by or made worse by stress and anxiety. I have more than my share, the most recent being a blood clot in my leg with no known cause other than stress. I'm ten pounds heavier than I want to be from eating compulsively to blot out negative thoughts. I'm tired most of the time after sleepless nights full of leg cramps and bad dreams.
None of my complaints can be blamed on anyone besides myself. If I avoid the news, eat only what's good for me and drink some warm milk with honey before bed, who knows how healthy and happy I might be?
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