Whew, where do I start? I’ve been offline for 2 weeks due to modem issues and a phone company that doesn’t know up from down. I logged on yesterday to find my inbox flooded with emails and my Facebook bombarded with everyone who worried about me when I disappeared from cyber world! You have no idea how wonderful it made me feel when I logged on to FB yesterday and almost immediately someone asked me, “Have you updated your blog yet?”. Wow! Someone missed my blog? That’s gotta be success!
So, what has everyone missed? Well, I’m getting married in less then 3 weeks. We don’t have the rings, the flowers, a reception planned, or a honeymoon location. We might not even get to take a honeymoon unless we take the children with us since our youngest hasn’t been doing too well. He’s having almost daily meltdowns, sometimes several a day. I just can’t see leaving him for several days while this is going on. So, looks like our honeymoon will instead be a family vacation.
I just put the youngest down for a nap. We laid down on the couch together. Our couch sits in front of the window. So, when lying down you can face the back of the couch and see the trees and sky above it. It looked like this.
I was watching the trees and how they swayed. Although there is no wind to be seen at ground level, the tops of the trees were ever so slightly swaying in the wind. It amazed me that they could sway like that without toppling over. Each tree is a different size. Some are skinnier, some thicker. Some are taller, some shorter. They brave wind, rain, and ice at times (not much snow in these parts but occasionally). They stand tall, bending under the weight of whatever nature tosses at them. Yet, they still keep themselves firmly bedded in the ground. Sure, sometimes trees fall and they tend to come up from the roots. But, I’m thinking those are the trees that have taken years and years of abuse and let it get to them. I mean, one storm won’t uproot a tree. But, if that tree has had its roots slowly rotted away from sitting in to much water, or has had termites infest it, or had disease touch it……after years and years this tree will fall. Of course, maybe that tree is in someone’s yard and they love it. Maybe that tree holds the children’s tree house. For whatever reason, maybe someone took the time to care for it. They brought in soil to replace what had been eroded away. They treated the infestation of termites or treated the disease the tree had gotten. Through the years they tended to and cared for this tree so that when the storm came, its’ roots were still firmly embedded.
I think that those of use who battle chronic pain and health issues are like those trees. Each day life erodes a part of us away. We keep standing tall though, bending under the weight some days, but springing back up when that weight lifts a bit. Yet, day by day, year by year, life erodes us away. Suddenly one day we look down and realize that the next storm that comes by is going to knock us completely over!
It’s so important that we surround ourselves with others who care enough to provide the attention to us that we need. We need, more so then many others, someone to bring us soil when ours has eroded away. We need, more so then many others, someone to help us treat the diseases that wreck us. We need, more so then many others, someone to help us get rid of those pesty negative thoughts that run through our head. We need to know that when the storm comes, we’re firmly embedded in the love of our friends, family and God.
Unfortunately, many of us suffering with chronic ills find it hard to trust. So many times we’ve had friends disappear because they “couldn’t handle” seeing us ill. Or, we had friends disappear because we could no longer actively participate in their lives the way we once did. We’ve had loved ones look at us in disbelief and with no understanding. Everyone suffering with chronic ills knows “the look”. It’s the look that someone gives when their not understanding has turned to exasperation and they are done with us. It’s the look that someone gives us when, since they don’t understand, they feel we must be faking or that it’s all in our heads. It’s the look that erodes the soil that we are embedded in.
Yet, God knows exactly what we need. If there is someone eroding your soil, then God is going to make sure that there is someone else putting even more back. It’s up to us to allow that person to do so. Sure, it makes us vulnerable. I mean, it’s hard to open up and allow someone to help when so many others treated us so negatively after we became ill. But, if we don’t let God help us through the people He has here on earth, then we’ll be like that tree that falls when the big storm comes.
Fellow fibromites, let others into your life. Let others replace the soil that has been eroded. Let others treat the disease and help rid of us the pesty negative thoughts. Let others step into our lives and carry us at times if need be.
Fellow fibromites, let us be the trees that stay standing after the big storm!
To each of you who take on the hard task of carrying the soil to us….To each of you who take on the hard task of helping treat the disease….To each of you who take on the hard task of helping rid us of those pesty negative thoughts……Know that you are truly sent by God and we are grateful.
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