What should I Fear?

When I saw the coins above, I told my brother, "Look, they even depict the aging of the Queen!". He is the one who gave me these coins. My brother just exclaimed, "Well, of course!". And then I remembered, I used to live in perpetual fear of losing things I had, like aging without accomplishing my goals or never having the things I hoped to acquire in my life.

I was constantly bugged by questions like, what if I lose my hair? What if I never get the acres of animal and vegetable farm I want? What if I become overweight, out of shape? What if I lose my job? Or what if I don't get the higher education I still want to achieve? What if I get old and frail and have nothing to offer those around me? But life has lessons for those who listen, and now I know:

If I lose my hair, I will be the best darn bald lady I can be (hehehe), and I will be grateful that my head can still stimulate ideas, if not follicles. A farm does not make a person happy. The unhappy heart will not find contentment in an acre of land, while the heart that is merry will make any place a happy one. If I spend more time developing my emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions, rather than over-focusing on my physical self, I will be more beautiful with each passing day. If I cannot work for wages, I will work for the Lord -- and His benefits package is unmatched. And if aging robs me of my strength, mental alertness, and physical stamina, I will offer those around me the strength of my convictions, the wisdom of experience seasoned with adversity, and the spiritual stamina of a soul that has been carefully shaped by the hard edges of a long life.

No matter what losses or broken dreams may lie in my destiny, whatever burdens shall be my fate, I will meet each challenge with dignity and resolve. For God has given me many gifts and talents, and for each one that I may lose, I will find ten more that I never would have cultivated were the course of my life to always run smoothly. And so, when I can no longer dance, I will sing joyfully; when I no longer have the strength to sing, I will whistle with contentment; when my breath is shallow and weak, I will listen intently and shout love with my heart; and when the bright light approaches, I will pray silently until I cannot pray; alas, it will then be time for me to go to the Lord. And what then should I fear? (",)