Lyme Life – Learning to Live
Lyme has taught me much about life. Long before I had a diagnosis, there were lessons about how to manage life with a body that doesn’t cooperate. I guess they are some pretty universal truths. So, I’ll share a few with you. I think a lot of people would recognize some as healthy habits of successful people.
Strategy can be a limiting concept. The very most important thing I’ve learned in my life is that almost everything is relative. From getting up early to getting enough sleep and eating well, virtually everything we do, varies from person to person. No set of rituals will fit everyone.
God made us individually, exclusively, and purposely unique. We each have gifts and talents, leanings and aptitudes, abilities and proficiencies that no one else on earth has. We also have our own set of limitations.
Our experiences are our own too. They shape us. Abuse, especially child sexual abuse, can diminish or even extinguish natural tendencies. So, we must not compare ourselves with anyone, except our former selves.
Margins expand our capacity. White space on a page allows us to read more easily. White space on our calendars allow for the unexpected. As a life concept, margins give us a chance to rest and refresh. Lymies have learned to schedule recovery time for pretty much every expenditure of energy. If I need to take a shower and be at an appointment, I need to schedule rest before, after and maybe in between activities.
Planning is paramount. I usually plan 40 days or so into the future. I have daily, weekly and monthly goals. Don’t read too much into that. It may be that I look at a week and plan one task per day; cleaning the fridge or filing business receipts or clearing my desk. Depending on the week, I may prepare for company a little each day or place an order for meds at the pharmacy.
Staying strong is hard work. Lyme is painful. The pain can be overwhelming and sitting very still is usually less painful than moving. However; moving relieves the stiffness and reduces the pain. Movement has long been known to generate good chemicals in our bodies. Getting past the debilitating fatigue in the hardest part. Pushing ourselves a little more than is comfortable, builds strength for more another time.
The recovery continuum is not a straight path. Everyone has good days and bad days. Lymies have bad days and worse days. We learn to trudge through the valleys and climb the hills. The hilltops are few and far between, but they are there. No matter what a person is recovering from there will always be set backs and advances.
We must keep hope alive. If we become hopeless, we will die. I have the hope of eternal life, but that also comes with responsibility. If I die, I believe I will be received to heaven, because of my faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. If I live, I believe that I have a mandate to be kind and share the Good News with others. Hope can be difficult to hold onto when suffering with so much pain. That’s where others come in.They can help to distract, redirect, encourage us along at the way.
We must maintain relationships. Community is important. God gave us the symbol of the cross for many reasons. I firmly believe that one is to demonstrate the importance of relationships. We have a vertical relationship with God through Jesus Christ and we have horizontal relationships with each other by reaching out. Even the youngest baby will reach their hands toward their caregivers. We need to reach out to one another for support and extend our hands to guide and encourage.
Leave a legacy. Money is important, but a good example is far more valuable to individuals and to the world. Each of us has a circle of influence. Each circle has another concentric circle. Like ripples in a pond, each life touches others as time passes. No matter how small or how short a person’s time is here on earth, every one is important. Let’s make is count.
Of course there are so many more, but this is where I’ll leave it for this Lyme Life Monday. These are not in any particular order. If you had to choose the most important, what would your life lesson be?
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