Fear is a powerful emotion. We all have fears, and how we deal with them can determine whether we conquer them, or they conquer us. Sometimes the fear is of the unknown. Sometimes we fear failure. Sometimes we fear success.

I have had an unusual fear this week, fear of a fox! Mike and I downsized a couple of years ago and now live in a 55 and older neighborhood of 1300 homes. It is a beautiful neighborhood, with lots of walking trails and wooded areas. It seems that we now have a fox lurking around, evading all attempts to catch him. He has attacked several people and animals. I do not want to be one of his victims!

When I first heard of the fox a couple of days ago, I considered not taking my daily walk. I walk right near where the fox has been seen and has attacked people and animals. But after considering that for a short period of time, I decided that would not be facing my fear.

Not taking my daily walk would be like not taking my daily medicine. It is the only exercise I get. My daily walk is for my mental and emotional health as well as my physical health. Yes, I could miss a few days and not take my walk while the fox is hopefully being caught and thus poses no danger. But I did not want to. I know that once I get out of the groove of my daily walk, it will be too easy to let it slide, fox or not.

I decided to take a walking stick with me for protection against the fox on my walks. That was a suggestion made by some neighbors. Since we have an (unused) walking stick, I decided to put it to good use. For the past two days, I have walked accompanied by a walking stick. I have chatted with the law enforcement professionals as I passed the areas where they have been looking for the fox (I guess and hope that there is only one fox!) I have had no sightings of the fox. And, it is apparently still on the loose.

Now, granted, fear of a fox is an unusual fear, and one I hope is rectified soon. But that is not the only fear that I face. As scary as the fear of the fox is, the other fears are even worse. And they cannot be controlled by a walking stick.

I fear aging, and the potential health issues that too often accompany aging. I fear death, especially after losing a friend to colon cancer at the young age of 61 last week. I fear dementia, and losing the person I am to my family and friends, becoming someone no one wants to be around.

I fear losing frequent contact with my family and friends as their lives change, and there isn’t the same ability to be a part of their lives. I fear losing my strength, especially in my hands due to arthritis, and no longer being able to cook and do other things that I enjoy. I fear losing my eyesight to wet macular degeneration, having had well controlled dry macular degeneration for several years.

I have another fear, one that is perhaps the scariest of all. I fear losing my purpose, no longer sure “what I am supposed to do with my one wild and precious life.” (From the poem “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver.) How I answer this question will determine how I deal with success and failure in this part of my life.

How about you? Have you seen any foxes, or other dangerous animals? Likely not. How about your fears; do you have any? Are you satisfied with your life as it is, or do you want more? What do you want more of? Do you want more money? If so, if you have more time, you can make more money. Money is a commodity, and although at times it may be in short supply, that can be rectified. The same isn’t true about time.

Time is a non-renewable resource. When time is gone, it is gone forever. That makes our quest for what money can’t buy more important than what money can buy.

Let’s fear what is worthy of our fear. Let’s fear our failure to be our best, and to live our best life. Let’s get busy, for time waits for no one.