“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” - Rabindranath Tagore
I just love this quote because it serves as a great reminder that, yes,
the clouds will roll in, bringing in the darkness that MS sometimes carries, yet,
somehow, through the storm, there is something good and positive to look for.
Dwelling on all of the bad stuff that may come with an MS diagnosis will
really drive us crazy as we chant “why me, why me.” Some things are not meant
to be understood and we should try to move on. I do this by focusing on doing things
that I enjoy. Try as I might, it does work.
The stuff I love includes riding my bicycle really, really fast, taking
pictures, reading, writing, planning a trip, wandering and exploring,
gardening, laughing, watching movies and all kinds of other goodies. In doing
this, I forget for a few moments, hours or days, that I am someone living with
Multiple Sclerosis. Any darkness hovering over me lifts and I move on, enjoying
the gorgeous colors of life. Corny, I know. But, it works.
You see, by focusing on doing the things I enjoy, the burning sensation
in my legs drifts away a little bit, the numbing and pain seemingly weakens.
The fatigue may stay awhile but when focused on doing things I enjoy, like
watching an awesome movie, that feeling of “I hit a brick wall” diminishes. Do
my MS symptoms go away? Nah. They simply fall to the background as I focus on
doing stuff that deters me from constantly thinking about on the numbing and
pain that I always feel.
Receiving an MS diagnosis can be devastating. No doubt. It brings
hardships that can be very difficult to endure. I think lessening the load is
important as we try to remember that there is so much great stuff in life that
can really bring us a lot of joy.
How about you? What are some things you enjoy doing? To help brighten
your days and help you dwell a little bit less on MS symptoms? Would love to
hear from you.
Best,
Christie
