I love this man. Richard Cohen. I love him. His mantra is mine. His hope I cling to. He inspires me.
He tells the story of coping with his multiple sclerosis and colon cancer in his New York Times bestseller, “Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness.” Awhile back, he came out with a fascinating book, “Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope,” profiling five brave persons battling illness. Writes Richard, “These are the faces of illness in America. Do not look away. The characters may surprise you, even shatter a stereotype or two. They are people, not cases, survivors, not victims. Quite simply, they are us. they carry shared resolve, a determination to survive. To flourish.”
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What a beautiful post, and an eloquent reminder for us all. I knew a young woman once who suffered terribly with depression, for years. She referred to it later as a near-terminal illness, which put it in such perspective. But chronic suffering is debilitating and all around us, and it can be overlooked if we aren’t aware of it.
Thanks for sharing this nugget of inspiration!
- Marie (Coming Out of the Trees)
“With chronic illness, every facet of a once-robust life is overtaken and redefined.” (quoting from above)In addition, for the highly sensitive person the MANY nuances of change may add not only to the complexity of the process of reframing but may provide a more robust array of options to draw upon — supporting their inner strength to seize the day, making each step forward in strength and courage brilliantly their own.
This article is beyond profound to me_ it is how I would like others to understand. That love, care, empathy and concern are welcomed but we walk alone. On that journey, with the pain and limiation of my injuries, diseases and disabilits sometimes others cannot help and I must continue to draw from within. From where it comes day on day eludes me. It is as so beautifully stated, without the relief of a terminal illness chronic illness is an ardous journey.
I woke this morning, drew another breath, gained inspiration from this reading and will soon put one foot in front of the other. Thankyou and I too walk alone.