I feel like garbage.
Is it okay to write this here? I think it is. I have decided it is. Because honesty and transparency and realness is all some of us have left!
But do you know what is kind of awesome about chronic disease?
I’ll give you a second…
Okay, hear me out -
Living life with chronic disease offers me the opportunity to understand my child’s pain. She may not be in physical pain or distress (unless sensory processing disorder is acting up) - but she is often in mental distress.
And do you know how she manages it?
She keeps moving.
So today, when I woke up and could have wondered WHY GOD DID WE CHOOSE 9 AM FOR THERAPY?! Instead, I kept moving. The joints creaked. The head throbbed. I took a few deep breaths - and drove 25 miles. For this…
And for a little while I FORGOT that I have a disease that turns my life inside-out and upside down!
What we did today matters. Not just for us though, but for you!
What are you doing to keep your mind from focusing on the hardness of life? Are you doing something (anything) that sparks light and life in darkness?
For my Jesus-y people, this verse pops up for me. John 1:5 says,
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Darkness can only overcome us if we don’t fight back.
So whether you’re digging into your bible or the dirt (which we did after this donkey painting session at the fabulous Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary), let me remind you to fight back. To find the light. Call your counselor. Go for a run. Take a bath. BREATHE. Fight back.
I love you and I’m cheering you on.
Hugs,
Jennifer
Barefoot Preacher ⋒ For All Mom Kind ⋒
Founder, Moms for Mental Health