If I said I was unfamiliar with anxiety, most might find it strange. I once thought of anxiety not as a medical condition, but as a state of being—just another word for fear. An expression, like saying someone is "sweet," meaning they are fine, they need nothing—not literally made of sugar. I recognize my ignorance now, more so as the years pass - and I recall now - when some said to me they were anxious. I have thought about those words deeply over the years. And those years have taught me that reading about something, discussing it, even studying it in depth, is vastly different from witnessing its effects firsthand.

Fear serves a purpose—it is protective by nature. But when fear becomes untethered from reason, when it lingers without cause, it becomes anxiety - but it is not without reason why we become anxious. It sounds simple, yet it's difficult to truly grasp. We can observe its presence, like holding a hand just above a hot plate, sensing the heat without touching it. But to truly understand—to relate—it takes experiencing its indirect effects. And when that happens, you pause. You reflect on what another might be feeling, how the world appears to them, how you yourself appear to them. That realization can be an awakening, a deep appreciation for the intangible gifts we so often overlook. Deep empathy for the other - like watch a cornered wild animal - its instincts to atttack, withdraw or playdead - and these can be silence, disppearnace, aggressively handling everything. - often it is counter to achiving the desired objectives.

I found your experience with Burner hilarious. I, too, believe in the oneness of everything —not in the sense that the universe will take care of me, but in the idea that we share both suffering and joy. That connectedness gives us the power to reduce suffering, not add to it - it is in the reduction of suffering we will find true happiness and joy - it is in the beauty of the priceless that we will find our treasures. To give instead of take, one must first learn abundance and gratitude—not in moments of ease, but in the hardest of times - you must be willing to give up something of value. To find comfort in discomfort. To know, with certainty, that this too shall pass.

I was once given a dollar by a homeless person - I was shocked and surprised at this generosity - and they choose to give this to me as a gift. Here take this, I could not say no. I must not say - this was an act of extremely generosity and kindness. One that has shaped me - I will never be able to match this - I always keep this dollar on me as a reminder.

And without gratitude, we remain trapped in a mindset of scarcity, allowing fear and anxiety to take hold. But gratitude must be real, not performative - not for others but for us. Acceptance of abundance cannot be forced—it must be experienced - over time. And through that experience, we can create new narratives, reshape our perception of the world. A world that, even in its darkest moments, is still full of hope and beauty - and look for those acts - keep reminders of those in life, on self. And through that gateway of gratitude maybe there is hope for anxiety. Thank you for writing.