Perspective

"This illness is to fatigue, what a match is to a nuclear bomb. It's an absurd mischaracterization."

-Laura Hillenbrand,

author of Seabiscuit and person with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-

Recently I spent part of the day texting back and forth with a friend who was sick in bed with the flu. That was one heck of a flu she had! We were having so much fun just chatting via text, both of us hanging out not feeling well. I think it helped us both get through the day!

As a side note: Yes, I am completely in love with texting now. I know...who is this person and where did she come from?!

But back to the story at hand. My friend has three children under the age of five, so she is one busy mom. As we were chatting she wrote:

"I would take the most hectic and frustrating day with the kids over this any day."

In an strange way that was the most validating comment. Especially coming from someone who has incredible compassion and empathy about my illness. She would never say something that would minimize my struggles.

Hearing someone say what she would give to feel healthy, even after just a couple of days of feeling sick, made me feel a little less crazy for being so sick of being sick.

I keep thinking that setbacks will get easier with time. That being sick will get easier with time. Sometimes it seems to get more difficult.

I have a tendency to minimize my 'suffering'. Or to question whether it is even 'suffering' because I am certainly very aware of how very many things I have to be grateful for, and how many people are suffering so much more so in this world. The problem is that 'comparing suffering' doesn't really help us to feel any better in the moment. What we feel is what we feel.

It's hard to keep perspective some days. So it's very helpful to have others, especially those outside of the situation, put things into perspective. Thank you, my friend.

Blessings,

Emily

Photo: The Lookout. We stopped here the day we forgot The Rolls! I love watching the valley change throughout the seasons.