This Thing Called Life

I am strong, strongest on my hardest days;

Yet sometimes so vulnerable, yearning for a hug and someone to wipe my tears away.

I am a fighter, taking on invisible battles daily;

Though some days I know I need to slow down and just focus on self-care.

I bravely enter each new day with hope;

I know no other way, hope is my friend even if it lets me down at times.

I accept the hurt in my life, every which way it comes;

I don’t like it, I wish it away daily, but I accept it.

I grieve my losses, that’s just a part of life;

I am frustrated by my limitations; more acceptance is needed here.

I dream about big, crazy, fun adventures that lie ahead;

I realize some dreams are foregone, but not all!

There’s a reason for my “boldness” and my lack of boldness in each of these statements. First, to highlight the choice I am making. I am choosing to live big and bold, to the highest degree that I can, while still diligently taking care of myself every step of the way. That is my choice, and all of our choices within the life we were given and have created for ourselves. Let’s never forget that we have a choice. Even in the most challenging of circumstances, there are choices…

Now for a bit of a challenge: I challenge you to read the entire set of statements one more time. Did you get from any of them that I live daily with pain, exhaustion, and a chronic illness that comes with a wide variety of additional symptoms? I’m guessing the answer is no. And that is because while they all very much apply to life with a chronic illness, they also apply to life. Period.

At our core, we aren’t that different from each other. And that’s my point. We all have our challenges, wins, limitations, loves, losses.... Yes, there is a lot of things that uniquely enters life when you have a chronic illness. However, on a big picture scale, it all breaks down to the similar set of emotions that every person experiences for one reason or another in their life.

Yes, we are all diverse and unique from one another and there is such beauty in that. At the same time, we are unified by our emotions. When you think of it all like this, we have so much in common. So many reasons to come together and join forces, support each other, and raise each other up to our best selves, to the best life we can possibly have. This thing called life isn’t a competition. Let’s help each other through life’s challenges, be there when needed, and cheer each other on during the good times.

We may have differences; we are all unique, but at the core, we are all beautiful people that deserve to live the best life possible and to help each other achieve that!