Blessed with MS
When you read the title of this blog, did you say something like this? "Blessed with MS?!?! This girl is full of it. How? I don't believe it."
Well, it's true. I do feel blessed with Multiple Sclerosis. It has changed my story in life but in a good way. It has made me realize that life is way too short to sweat the small stuff and it has given me a new appreciation for the little things in life that most people don't have time to acknowledge. For instance, during the course of a day a smile and a greeting fills me with joy especially when people actually make eye contact. It seems so trite but it goes a long way. These days so many people are involved in themselves and their own stories that they forget there are other people in this world who would like a little acknowledgement and appreciation. When I wake up in the morning, I'm grateful for another day and I make it my mission to try to keep a smile on my face and make other people smile too. Don't get me wrong, some days are more challenging than others and I'm not all smiles all the time but I try not to get too ahead of myself; I try to live from minute to minute and find something to be thankful for every day. With my version of relapsing remitting MS, I haven't had a big exacerbation for 20 years; however, my legs have gradually gotten weaker and there is more numbness in my fingertips which makes my shaky hands even shakier. Every day is an adventure because I have no idea how my body will react to the situations it is presented but I'm resilient; I never give up trying.
The alternatives to living and being happy are dying and being miserable. I choose to be happy and live in the moment but I have also decided if that particular moment isn't so great, I can live vicariously through someone else. Although, sometimes I decide to stay in my own moment because it never fails that when I think I'm having the worst day ever, someone is suffering more than me. Have you ever told someone your MS story and that person comes back with a story 10 times worse? Trust me. I am blessed with MS and wouldn't trade my challenges for someone else's ailments. In the scheme of things, MS is OK.