Over the past few days I have logged into Facebook and saw a long list of complaints, people moaning and groaning at the simple miseries of life and wondered how many people are just having a gripe to draw a bit of attention to themselves and how many of them actually feel hard done by? I am not in any way sitting in judgement, by all means i have been just as guilty of this self indulgence. But it does raise the question of who actually has the right to complain? do we ignore the people that actually do? because we are so swamped with our own selfish complaints we are neglecting those that are more deserving of attention?
I in no way see my circumstances as exceptional and spend most of days thinking how to be normal and avoid moaning too much about by illness. As a person with a chronic disease you are often plagued by the paranoia of other peoples perception of you as a complainer, moaner or pessimist, but shouldn't we be allowed to more than most?
'Normal' life is hard enough for everyone, juggling a full time job, children, broken down cars, sleepless nights, bad colds and going into your overdraft halfway through the month, but combine those pressures with hospital appointments, severe fatigue, taking 9 types of medication in the morning, paying for the prescriptions because they won't make you exempt, the fear you are a ticking time bomb of disease that is unpredictable and ruthless in its attack, the question mark over your ability to have a child, feel exhausted after 2 days at work, the worry that if you get ill again the pressure of the income falls solely on your partner and the knowledge that you don't quite know what the future holds for you health wise.. This is not a complaint from me, there are people far more in need of sympathy than I am, but sometimes we just need to let rip those added layers to our lives and not feel we are embracing the whole 'woe is me' way of life.
I made a vow this year that i would find a positive thing about every day, that i wouldn't think about the hard stuff and just get on. The one thing these experiences are bringing me is that the old sayings are the best and life really is too short, the shit is doled out unfairly at times but small steps will eventually get you to the end of the longest of roads. Don't criticise my positivity, i speak from experience, I have been halfway to hell and back (note only half way not all the way there like some!) when it feels like your world has caved in and the hole just keeps getting deeper. If i can be positive and not complain too much then others can too, just take a breath and consider for a second.. there is always somebody in a worse situation and facing bigger problems than you
At the bottom of the well it is pitch black and cold, on the darker days you can't see the foot holes for your way to the top, on wet days you may slip but on sunny days you can see the climb more easy and take a step up towards the light at the top.
BREAKFAST!
