Correlation?

I receive a daily dose of sound advice via email.  Today, the topic was about taking care of yourself, eating right, and getting enough sleep.  Having a healthy body is definitely a result of doing a good job of that.

It then went on about correlating negative feelings and attitude with illness and depression.  Can it be that simple?  I think immediately of anger and high blood pressure.  Then it would be easy to say that people with illnesses such as cancer in reality brought the disease upon themselves.  The negative attitude, the bitterness, the anger -- can these explain these serious illnesses?

I'm not so sure.  An acquaintance once told me of her daughter passing away from cancer.  It was such a sad tale that my heart broke for her.  Nobody could understand how such a young, vibrant lady could have been cursed with an incurable disease.  I don't remember what form of cancer it was, but how could negativity, if any, result in something so tragic with such a young life?

I also had a couple of friends pass away at the age of 40 from cancer.  Both were very loving, positive people and surrounded by loving husbands, children, other family and friends.  One had breast cancer, and the other had stomach cancer.  The toll cancer takes on the body can be incredibly quick so much so that I was shocked when I saw one of my friends at the hospital when a group of us decided to visit her.  No warning could have prepared me for how quickly she deteriorated physically within a 3-month span.  I was speechless the entire time.  She was in good spirits as she always was.  She passed away soon after.  Her name was Marcia.

The other friend was Jamie.  I didn't see Jamie in her final days but went to her memorial.  There were so many people who attended, a testament to how much she was loved.  Jamie and I became friends soon after we met, even though others around me tried to prejudice me early on.  These people did not like Jamie and spoke negatively about her.  However, I found that she was a hard-working, genuine, loving mother and wife.  Jamie always made you feel important when you were around her.  I still recall the great times we had in Virginia when we were sent to open up an office there.  She, Wendy (Jamie's best friend) and I went on a weekend adventure to Alexandria.  Jamie drove the SUV, and we would crack up as we tossed coins into the toll baskets because such baskets didn't exist in California.

We also met up for lunch and dinner many times.  Jamie knew her wine.  I still remember one of her favorites was La Crema Chardonnay.  Jamie was older, wiser, and more positive than me.  She was definitely an inspiration.

It almost seemed unfair when Jamie and Marcia passed away at the young age of 40, leaving husbands and kids.  In either of their cases, I don't recall negativity, bad attitude, unhealthy eating, not taking care of themselves.  Neither smoked nor were surrounded by smokers.

I don't see the correlation.  I'm not condoning negative feelings, bad attitude, bad eating, bad habits.  I just think that it is fate.  It is God's plan.

One of my favorite stories is that of Evita Peron.  She died at a young age of cancer.  Correlation is questioned with this line from one of the songs, when Evita asks God:

"What is the good of the strongest heart in a body that's falling apart?  A serious flaw - I hope you know that."