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I’m continuing today to follow along with the great prompts in #Blogtober14. As I said in yesterday’s post, many of these prompts are similar to exercises I have done in journaling workshops with my clients and even with myself. #Blogtober14 is not only a great exercise in helping bloggers to write everyday but also has a therapeutic component to it. (Ok, that’s enough of the counselor coming out). Today’s prompt is to write about my biggest fear. Before I share my fear, I feel it is important to note that very few things in life scare me. I have the tendency to face anything I fear head on and I have done that since I was a child. There may be moments when fear intimidates me but I will eventually push back. The reality is my biggest fear in life has already happened to me. After my father’s death when I was a child, unlike many children, I did not fear something happening to my Mom. I always felt that someone would be there to take care of and support me. It is surprising that as I became an adult, I feared losing my biological family. Perhaps that was because I began to see my once nice size family begin to lose touch with each other, become estranged and die. I’m not sure when the fear of not having any close biological family left began to be a part of my life. I feared no longer belonging somewhere as you do when you have your own family. I truly expected my Mom and Nanny to both live to old age. I expected to deal with the issues of caring for an aging parent and grandparent. James and I even called one of our guest bedrooms my Mom’s future room. However the universe had other plans when my Mom died and four months later my Nanny. The reality is I have learned a lot over the past year and a half. Family does not have to be blood. I continue to have difficult days of missing them and wishing they were here. I’ve struggled in feeling like I do not have a place to return home to. I’m too young to be without parents or grandparents. However, I have been given the love of my husband and friends who have stood by my side. These are people who have chosen to love me, not because we are bound by blood but because we are bound by friendship, respect and love. I could finish this post by saying that at times I fear losing my husband. However, I choose to not dwell on this fact. I have learned how to cope with the worse in life and I believe that whatever life may throw at me, I will be able to make it. I have increased my strengths and developed new healthy coping sills. Remembering what I have done in the past helps me to know what I can do in the future. Do you know what your fears are? How do you deal with them? 
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Thank you for sharing this post…I’m sure it was tough. I totally agree that family doesn’t have to be blood! <3
Thanks Christine! I’ve developed friendships that feel like family.
Thanks for sharing Sheryl! Everytime I fear something, I remind myself that fear is NEVER from the Lord!!!! Ever!!! I try to dismiss it right away as I know it’s just the enemy attacking me.
Fear is such wasted energy! You are so right that God doesn’t want us to be fearful but to know that we will be taken care of. This part of my journey has shown me in so many ways that God will provide for me.
This is beautiful. Indeed, family does not have to be blood, and yet we find ourselves bonded to our relatives and often concerned for them. Thanks for sharing this part of your journey Sheryl– I enjoyed reading it:)
Thanks for stopping by Daisy. So grateful for you!
I often dwell on the fear of losing my loved one as well but have really been working on not spending time thinking negatively like that and instead spend my time spending time with those I fear losing because at the end of the day time is what we won’t get back once they’re gone. Making memories now is what is important.
Thank you for sharing! & I’m so sorry for all your loss.
Alex, I totally agree with you. I never wasted a moment with my family and have such great memories. When they were diagnosed, I even thought to myself that I had nothing to regret and had made the most of our time. Always count the blessings of what you have now rather than fearing what might be. I’m so glad you stopped by.
It’s so funny you mention having no regrets because I was just talking with my boyfriend the other day, who just lost his grandpa, about my grandpa (who I lost a little less than a year ago) and we were talking about how we don’t have regrets from when they were here because we worked really hard at our relationships with them. I never wanted to regret not spending time with them once they were gone so I worked especially hard and made it a huge priority, first and foremost because I wanted to spend time with them, but also so I wouldn’t regret it later. It’s definitely been a huge lesson for me in terms of all the other relationships I have today and something I’ll always practice and work hard at.
Sheryl – I love this post. And what it makes me think about. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful. really Beautiful. Your writing and the way you’ve carved out a space like this (your blog) is such a gift. 🙂
It’s always so hard to lose a loved one, and it’s such a valid fear. We never know what’s around the corner. That’s why it’s so important to enjoy and cherish all the moments together.
Thank you for sharing such a personal post. It’s important that we enjoy every minute of our lives that we spend it with people we love and who love us back, no matter how we are connected.