Presumed Immunity

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a vaccine that would ensure the storms of life would simply pass us by?  Sadly, I must say there isn't.  On the bright side, if you're reading this, chances are you have recently gone through one of the many storms in life and are in search of something or someone to help ease the pain; to offer some sort of comfort to help calm your fears, and make you feel less alone. You, my friend, have come to the right place, for that is precisely my reason behind this and forthcoming posts. I, personally, have spent countless hours searching for answers...in a poem, a song, in prayer.  Alas, the many search engines...only to find a few candid accounts for which I could actually relate. In life, many storms will come our way.  Some are no fault of our own.  Some, however, are a direct result of the choices we make.  We're told all of our lives there are consequences for every decision we make, but far too often we fail to conside...

There are countless blogs on fitness, recipes, crafts and DIY projects, but far and few between are the blogs that delve deep into the mind to  offer cold, hard facts….cold, hard facts about life…life, in general. One of the beautiful things about life is our individuality.  Without diversity, this old world would be more than just humdrum.  There is much beauty all around us, but often we fail to realize the beauty that lies within each of us.  Our own perception of life and all that ‘should’ be is all too often tainted by what we become conditioned to through the media and through this media we have grown delusional about things like body image, careers, parenting, and how we should behave, whom we should marry, and the definition of success.  As a result, when the storms of life rush in like a flood, we become overwhelmed, discouraged, depressed, and, in a sense, our own worst enemy.  Our pride stands in the way and, as a result, we are unable to reco...

I honestly believe I was headed for a stroke before I quit my job.  Nevertheless, when I quit, I was at the point of exhaustion.  My life, once ‘rose colored’ in comparison, had become one that was filled with upheaval.  My eldest daughter was on meth, had recently been arrested on the grounds of the church she’d attended most of her childhood for having a meth lab, and what’s worse, was the talk of the town after her arrest aired on the local news.   My middle child, confused and disillusioned by whatever pill she was taking at the time, left her three young children and husband to live with a man she barely knew, while I attempted to work two jobs and attend online classes, all the while trying to maintain my sanity.  To make matters worse, I had recently been diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease, lupus being the prime culprit.  The medicines prescribed to me apparently played a part in my ultimate near stroke experience. ...

You know, for most of us, when things are ‘rolling’ along in life…job, home, family…we don’t stop to consider just how frail life really is….how our life really is ‘hanging on a thread’.  Simple, everyday choices we make can send us on a spiral path that lands us so very near to ‘rock bottom’.  ”Oh, no, not me”, you say.  Well, I once thought the very same thing; for my life was what I call ‘normal’.  I worked in the accounting department of a reputable state agency, lived in a spacious home, and was able to do many things that I wanted with my time and money.  I couldn’t understand why people couldn’t find jobs, why they were homeless, why this – why that.  …but… I became ill.  A hemorrhage on my brain brought about neurological symptoms including confusion.  The most routine of tasks became difficult, to say the least. I was unable to think clearly.  As a result, I quit my job.

Ever had ‘one of those days’ when you feel all alone…down on yourself…like throwing in the towel?  You are not alone, for no one is immune.  No matter the quality of education you received, the title behind your name, or the years of service you have devoted to your current profession, there are times when you have or will feel like you’re all alone in this world.  There will be days when you feel like somehow you’ve failed. We all have skeletons in our closet.  Whether addictions, rape, feelings of rejection, low self-worth…there’s something that we’ve done, experienced, or practice that we’re not necessarily proud of and, often, we feel inferior because of it.  I, personally, was bulimic for nearly eight years and even after I came to the point of ‘self-discovery’, I call it, I still battle with that old bulimic mentality.  Once I came to the realization that everyone in this world faces the same or similar challenges that they, too, must overcome, I w...