@b264 Like you I cannot take pain and suffering in people and animals. In fact, if a show is recommended to me on TV and I think there might be a lot of violence or worse, torture, I ask the person who recommended the show. If the answer is "yes" I won't watch it. Same with animal cruelty - I refuse to watch or read anything that includes cruelty toward animals.

What am I afraid of? How much time do you have? There are lots of things. I'm claustrophobic so I avoid small spaces if at all possible. When I have an MRI in that awful enclosed tube I ask for sedation. I'm afraid of heights but interestingly (to me) when I'm on a plane I can somehow look out the window and separate myself from that height in the air.

As I look back on my life (I'm 72-years-old) I realize that even when I was at a most anxious place in my life I was able to keep my goals in view such as education and career. My life experiences have helped me to weather difficulties that come up in my life. I practice acceptance and mindfulness but that's not easy in the face of health crises like cancer. That's where coping skills come in and making sure I do things that I like. I'm in a community choir and I've learned so much about music that I didn't know before.

What do you like to play on your guitar? What images do you like to do with your diamond paintings?