Beech Tree News Network

What do you fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the anticipation or awareness of danger. Most people fear something, sometime.

Thinking about fairly common fears, I asked friends and family, “What are some of your fears?” Their responses are listed below.

-Mundane adequacy.

-I think most of my fears are due to things that are out of my control. Losing a loved one in any capacity is my biggest fear, but especially losing someone I love unexpectedly.

-Snakes are my only physical fear. I also fear becoming a medical care giver for another husband.

-Snakes, untreatable illness, financial insolvency, inability to care for self, and inability to care for others.

-Spiders, creepy crawlers, and heights. I’m sure there are other things but that’s what comes to mind.

-Fear. That’s a big topic for me. I am recovering from being fearful of absolutely everything. You name it, I’ve been paralyzed with fear about it. Thankfully, over the last few years, through counseling, a bit of medication, and a lot of time in scripture and prayer, I am overcoming that. One of my favorite songs is called “No Longer Slaves.” The chorus repeats: “I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God.” The Bridge: “You split the sea, so I could walk right through it. My fears are drowned in perfect love. You rescued me and I will stand and sing, I am a child of God.” It took me a lot of years of anxiety and fear to truly own this truth. Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle, but I always try to remind myself that I’m a child of God, He’s always looking out for me, and just like a little child feels comfort and safety in the arms of their parents, I feel that same thing in the figurative arms of my father, God.

-I fear for the safety of my children and grandchildren. The thought of them being badly hurt or really sick is a constant source of anxiety. I am also terribly claustrophobic.

-Loss of democracy. Events where possible mass killings could occur. Snakes, I hate snakes. Truth and rule of law are no longer supported. My worst fear: I cannot protect my children and grandchildren from the cruelties of life – lack of control.

-Loved ones dying, snakes, and heights.

-Some of my fears are fire, tornadoes, and someone taking the girls.

-I fear for America, especially with this president again. That and snakes are about it.

-I have a fear of mice and snakes! Also, the fear of losing one of my children, a grandchild, my husband, or a family member. 

-As far as animals go, snakes and mice both make me scream and run the other way! It’s something about the long skinny tail of the mouse. I’m not afraid of a lot, but I don’t watch scary movies because they give me bad dreams. Heights also scare me and more so the older I get.

-Dying and cancer are two of my biggest fears. 

-Losing those who are closest to me.

-Loved ones dying, cancer or severe illness, and losing a job.

-I fear the lack of independence growing older. I fear danger from the outside world to family members. I also fear not getting through my bucket list.

-I have close family who haven’t been saved. I fear for my family’s health and safety. I fear cancer will return. I guess just the normal fears.

-My fears are snakes, tornadoes, and someone I love dying.

-My biggest fear is hurting somebody accidentally during my job. I think about it more than anything else, even in my off time. I think about it during the weekends, at night after work, and during my vacations.

-Snakes.

-My biggest fear is that I will not know what to do when all my kids move out. Will I find something that I’m interested in that does not involve being a full-time mom?

-My top fear is ticks. I can feel the texture of a tick for days if I just touch one. The nightmares usually last about a week. The constant checking myself, that lasts however long it lasts. I also am bothered by holes, symmetrical holes with patterns to be exact. Thirdly, I don’t like my own hair to float past me in the tub. I do not want to touch hair that is not mine – strong, strong aversion. I should clarify that if the hair is attached, I’m really okay. For example, I can stroke a child’s pretty locks, no problem.

-I have a fear of sharp objects pointed in my direction. I am uncomfortable when a person eating nearby points a fork or knife in my direction.

-My fears mostly include losing people I love to sickness or accidents or my daughter not having her mom around if something were to happen to me. But, I am also scared of house fires and rats and have a weird, irrational concern about other people preparing my food and germs on utensils. Just gross! I don’t even let myself think about it.

-I fear for the safety and health of family members. I fear the end of my life will be problematic for my children. I fear my retirement funds won’t support me with rising inflation. I fear little things, too, like heights and creepy critters.

I read that John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death…and saddling up anyway.” Doesn’t life require us to do just that? It takes a bit of courage to fight fear – the big and the small.