If I'm Already Dead

Years ago I read a wonderful short story called "I'm really dead." A youngish mother collapsed and died on the stairs while bringing in the groceries, but her family wouldn't let her alone. They kept making her get up to drive them places and to get them food. She kept snapping at them, "Leave me alone, I'm dead!!"

Can't remember how it turned out.

Anyway, at my age I have the reverse problem. Immersed in large family doings of adult children and young grandchildren I often feel my wisdom should be exerted on their behalf and my management skills deployed to their everlasting benefit. Then I have to remind myself, hey they'd have to work it out for themselves if I were already dead.

Of course if I were, they'd have my money to help them but never mind about that. The point is, when I think of how they would have to manage without me, I feel an opening in my chest, a relaxing.

Is this what is meant by "laying my burden down."

Now don't get upset anybody, I find when I share thoughts such as these people misinterpret.