illness reminds too

Today I felt so ill that I got very frightened. It was a bad reaction to something I ate, but the thing was that I had eaten so little, so at first I thought that I had a gas pain. But then I began to feel both light headed and dizzy. A dear friend of our family is ill with Cancer and I have thought about how she has been managing with such intense pain. My own pain today made me feel more acutely for her. Then tonight I got a call that my dad is ill as well. When you hear of so much illness, there is a sense of hopelessness. But it is also a time to look at the teaching elements of the situations too. Illness tells you about appreciating health. It also reminds you of mortality. Still yet, it also makes you see that you must be mindful of the way you treat your body and the way that you treat others as well. Is this illness going to be prolonged for example? An illness is usually an outward symptom of an inner problem.
When my body retaliated against whatever toxin I put inside it, it reminded me that I am alive, powered by this wonderful machine that I have been given to take care of, as it takes care of me. part of my 'illness' has to do with my own stresses and my tendency to store stress instead of dispelling it. I had to confront that and know that I cannot self diagnose myself either, if I continue to feel unwell, I will go to a doctor.
The need to feel that we are in control of our lives and always know the answer is always made a house of cards when these things remind us that we are part of a larger whole.