I also read this article and was moved.
I also felt very sorry for the dog.
What I hear you saying in your post is
that while you can identify with this
woman's demise, you still feel you have
a choice. That is great.
You say that what you read, you resonated
with, was this woman's pain and sense of
isolation. Of course, how would one know
unless they knew her, what she wanted in
her life. Some cannot live without others
and some live within more than without and
tend to become as contemporary modern day
contemplatives. I sort of travel between
and enjoy both ways. So, I tend to see
the woman as dying happy, relaxed in her
chair, her loyal dog beside her. I did
resonate with the article about the need
to revive the sense of family and neighbors
interacting together. It comes down to
learning how to communicate peacefully with
each other. Starting in our own communities
or even neighborhoods. I live in the country
and cannot see my nearest neighbor's house
from ours, but I have learned who everyone
is out here and we do tend to pay attention
and develop care for one another. Perhaps
that you wish it, you will be open to seeing
more opportunities to interact with others
and work to develop relationships.
It could be most likely that you would change
your mind and become the person you would
believe yourself to be. The first step in a
long journey IS putting faith in yourself.
Are you ready to, or will you fulfill your
vision of being left to dust with no one to
know that you had gone away.
One thought I had while I was mulling over
the reality of what happened to this woman,
was she seemed content to be solitary. I did
think though, too, she should have put in a
doggie door~!
about changing...
Sometimes it can be difficult to shift
yourself. One alternative option which
really helped me raise my hopes so to
speak was St. John's Wort. Even when I
did not feel like squirting a dropper
full into water, I would do it since I
knew more than anything, I did not want
to stay the way I was forever. While
Depression has its place, ultimately it
does not make you happy. I really like
this tincture my naturopath recommended.
http://www.herbalhealer.com/stress.html
My thought was, I will empty a bottle
and see how well I feel. St. John's Wort
helps gently detox the liver too so some
of the effect is effortless. Once you
feel better, things will be different.
I do not believe you want to be like the
woman in this story. You are you and when
you decide what you want to do, then you
will rise above your current comfort zone.
I wish you well on your healing journey.
blessings,
Zoe
-_-