Invisible Illness Week- Just One... Pt. 2
Thursday, September 11, 2014
"Always find something to be thankful for." -Unknown
September 8th-14th, 2014, is Invisible Illness Week (IIWk), and I've already done three posts HERE, HERE, and HERE. As I explained in yesterday's post, the theme for this year's IIWk is Just One. Because although we may be just one, we are just one of over 100 million living with an invisible illness. For more Just One posts, check out the IIWk website.
As I'm sure most of you know, I am a Christian. Ever since the beginning of my illness, I have been constantly searching to glorify God in my situation, and find hope in my circumstances. I firmly believe that there is a purpose behind everything- including my illness- and although it may have taken a little while, I was finally able to see just one thing I am thankful for that came about because of my illness.
And indeed, you are looking at that one thing- my writing.
Before I got sick, my plans were to pursue a career in nursing. I loved doctor-y stuff, and enjoyed learning about the human body, how it worked, and particularly what happens when it doesn't work correctly. (That's just one way I think God was preparing me for being sick, but that's another blog post all together.)
Writing was always something I enjoyed doing for school, and a little bit as a hobby, too. I experimented with poetry, and wrote fairly good essays and short-stories for assignments. I kept a journal, thought the idea of writing a book and getting published was cool, but I didn't really consider myself a writer per se.
I started dabbling in writing a little more towards the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013. One of my New-Year's Resolutions for 2013 was to start a blog, and so Walk in the Rain with Me was born.
It was not long after that my health began to deteriorate. As my energy levels decreased and my pain levels increased, I began to spend more and more time writing in my journal to sort out my thoughts, and my blog became a distraction. In July- only three months after I started my blog- I wrote my first post about being sick. (If you want to read it, click over HERE.)
And that was only the beginning. Since then, I have written nearly 40 blog posts, half of which have pertained to illness and learning how to live a new normal. I've had more than 4,000 page views, 15 subscribers, 1 follower, and over 50 likes on Facebook. I remember being so happy when I hit 100 views, and I still get excited when I see that people continue to read or share my blog posts.
Looking back, I can see how much of a blessing this blog has really been for me. The action of writing a blog post helped me work through whatever topic or struggle I was writing about, and having a place to share my illness journey without all the awkwardness of a face-to-face conversation made it so much easier to cope.
Over the past year and a half-ish, and I have seen first hand what a blessing writing is for me, and it has become just as necessary to my life as sleeping or eating. I started to see that God had given me the gift of words, and I was figuring out how to go about developing it. Because of my blog and my journaling, I have decided to pursue some sort of writing career, possibly through a degree in communications. It has opened my eyes to the fact that my thoughts and plans for the future are likely to change over time, and that's OK.
And this is just one thing I am thankful for that has come about because of my illness...
And indeed, you are looking at that one thing- my writing.
Before I got sick, my plans were to pursue a career in nursing. I loved doctor-y stuff, and enjoyed learning about the human body, how it worked, and particularly what happens when it doesn't work correctly. (That's just one way I think God was preparing me for being sick, but that's another blog post all together.)
Writing was always something I enjoyed doing for school, and a little bit as a hobby, too. I experimented with poetry, and wrote fairly good essays and short-stories for assignments. I kept a journal, thought the idea of writing a book and getting published was cool, but I didn't really consider myself a writer per se.
I started dabbling in writing a little more towards the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013. One of my New-Year's Resolutions for 2013 was to start a blog, and so Walk in the Rain with Me was born.
It was not long after that my health began to deteriorate. As my energy levels decreased and my pain levels increased, I began to spend more and more time writing in my journal to sort out my thoughts, and my blog became a distraction. In July- only three months after I started my blog- I wrote my first post about being sick. (If you want to read it, click over HERE.)
And that was only the beginning. Since then, I have written nearly 40 blog posts, half of which have pertained to illness and learning how to live a new normal. I've had more than 4,000 page views, 15 subscribers, 1 follower, and over 50 likes on Facebook. I remember being so happy when I hit 100 views, and I still get excited when I see that people continue to read or share my blog posts.
Looking back, I can see how much of a blessing this blog has really been for me. The action of writing a blog post helped me work through whatever topic or struggle I was writing about, and having a place to share my illness journey without all the awkwardness of a face-to-face conversation made it so much easier to cope.
Over the past year and a half-ish, and I have seen first hand what a blessing writing is for me, and it has become just as necessary to my life as sleeping or eating. I started to see that God had given me the gift of words, and I was figuring out how to go about developing it. Because of my blog and my journaling, I have decided to pursue some sort of writing career, possibly through a degree in communications. It has opened my eyes to the fact that my thoughts and plans for the future are likely to change over time, and that's OK.
And this is just one thing I am thankful for that has come about because of my illness...
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