I am not going to keep acting like people do not bother me when they act like I am fine. I have decided to just be honest. I mean the only way to make you understand what my truth is will be not accepting their lies. "I didn't know it was that bad." "You look good on the outside" "I wish I looked that good wen I am not feeling well." "Maybe it is all in your head" "You are probably just stressed" These go on and on and on. I can't take it anymore. We stand up for so many things in this world, I have made it my mission to stand up for the ones that do not look sick. You know.... The ones that need to eat better so their depression will go away. The ones that need to exercise more so they can feel better. The ones that are just over reacting. I am them. And it is past time for people to respect us, Even if you do not understand our illnesses or our situations, just be respectful of them. There is NO REASON for ANYONE not to know what these diseases are. It is 2016. The internet can teach you a magnitude of things if you type it in the search bar, But YOU HAVE TO WANT TO KNOW.
The lack of compassion in this world is shocking. We can come together for tragedy and we can rally against one group or another but when it comes to what we do not understand,,,,we don't believe it. There are not very many people that would want to pretend to have Multiple Sclerosis, AIDS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Scleroderma, Myositis, Crohns, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Sarcoidosis, ALS, and so many more it would take pages to list. I imagine there are those that pretend to be sick for attention. I imagine that it is hard to watch our loved ones suffer. I imagine that I could possibly be a fake, But Why in the World would I have so much passion for this? Why would I share my story time and time again? We have to be logical in our thinking. Pain is not a choice that most people choose. Happiness, Joy, Good Health, Mobility,....these are the things we all desire. Those of us that are sick and those that are not. We just need you to support us.
We don't want pity or to be constantly watched over. We just need to be believed and taken seriously.
I know that a lot of medical information can be overwhelming to you. I know that it is scary to see it written down or on a screen when our loved one is sick. But it is so much better to be aware and educated about their illness than to use not knowing as an excuse.
When I first became sick, the non belief from the people I love was harder to take than the illnesses themselves. I needed a friend, a hug, a shoulder to cry on. And people kept saying, "You will be okay." If you love someone that is dealing with any illness at all, any illness.,..find out what it is and figure out how you can help. They may not need anything from you but for you to believe their truth when they say they are tired or in pain. Something so simple to give is often so hard to find.
Ask yourself, "How would I feel if everyone questioned the validity of my sickness?" Then sit back and imagine what that feels like. You would not understand why THE THING that is controlling your life is so invisible to the people in your life. If nothing else, just be kind and show compassion to anyone that is obviously dealing with something. We know how the world works, eventually we will all find ourselves in that place in one form or another. How nice would it be if we just believed one another?
Blessings
Great topic, and you have dealt with it perfectly. You are always so insightful and articulate. And you just "nail it" my what the topic.
ReplyDeleteConnie thank you so much I love the support I get from you guys
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