Me: I had no idea, until now, as the anniversary of your death approaches, that my grief would turn into anxiety.
Anthony: It happened on New Years day, remember?
Me: Yes, but I got over that quite quickly with the help of some anti-anxiety medication prescribed by the doctor. So I saw him again today and he understood.
Anthony: How is he?
Me: He is fine, Ants, but I am talking about me here. Me!
Anthony: Sorry, Jules. How are you?
Me: Anxious, Ants! Waking up in the early hours with a racing heart, sweaty forehead and an irrational terror of the sun rising just in case I cannot face the ordinariness of the day, the emails I have to answer, my volunteering commitments, social arrangements, family get-togethers. I enjoy all of these things immensely but then the anxiety hits, and it hits hard, and renders me sort of helpless.
Anthony: What can I do?
Me: You are already doing it, just like you did when you were still alive. If I had a problem, at work, with Ming, with a family/friend dispute, and even with the nursing home, you would listen and enfold my shaking hands into your big warm/cold hands and there was always a semblance of peace. That’s not possible now.
Anthony: Why not?
Me: Because you are dead, Ants, and I am having a lot of trouble accepting that it is nearly a year since you died and my missing you is probably ridiculous as you were an old man anyway. I should be more accepting of what was inevitable but I still struggle.
Anthony: I don’t appreciate you calling me an old man, Jules.
Me: Well I don’t appreciate you dying so fast, Ants. I have nightmares about that.
Anthony: I am never cold anymore.
Me: So?
Anthony: You were always so worried about me being cold in the nursing home. I am never cold now and never too warm either. I am in perfect conditions.
Me: I miss everything about you – your mad humour, your adoration of Ming, your sense of irony but I guess I mostly miss how much you absolutely adored me.
Anthony: But I do still adore you, Jules! Will that stop the anxiety?
Me: Yes, I think so, Ants, but these are imagined conversations; they are not real.
Anthony: This is real, Jules.
jmgoyder 
this too shall pass. and he continues to help you find your way through the passage with his imagined conversations with you. that is real love.
I do so feel for you when anxiety attacks you like that, one can only hope that it will lessen a bit as the years go by. You are doing your best I know.
its perfectly natural to have anxiety or even illness at the anniversary of a loved one. don’t put your self down Julie
No comment, but I am here, listening.
What hard work it is. I hope that Anthony’s enduring love will help a bit.
The conversation may be imagined but the feelings are real, dealing with the anxiety is real and somewhat difficult in my opinion
His love, and your love, are the only real things that live on Julie. ❤