But
the fact is, no matter how 'normal' I feel or
how 'normal' I want to feel, there's only one
truth - the cells in my body are just not normal!
It is only now that I truly understand how crucial
it is to accept this cruel truth and to learn
to live with it"...harmoniously. Hence learning
to 'care' for and love this new 'me' is the first
step towards accepting my illness.
Sun Tze's
"Art of War" is useful here, This ancient
Chinese military strategist advocated the importance
of knowing yourself and your enemy before going
into the battlefield, Since Lupus is an auto-
immune disease, your own cells fighting against
your very own cells resembling an internal rebellion,
isn't your enemy your own body? So, learn to understand
the limits of your new physical condition, how
much physical and psychological stress your new
body can withstand.
The ancient
Chinese philosopher, Confucius offers good advice
too. Whatever we do and think, we should always
strike a balance, not too much nor too little,
So for our case, why not treat yourself as a delicate
indoor plant which means special care, attention
and treatment. To strike this balance it should
not be showered with too much sunlight nor too
much water. Everything must be moderate.
Or perhaps,
we can learn from the "mimosa" plant.
Learn to reject disturbance (undue stress) and
open up its leaves only when the danger has gone
off. The "morning glory" can he pretty
inspiring too. Learn to except naturally and flexibly
and you'll still find your way up to the sun every
morning.
It is not
helpful to keep asking such "unanswerable
questions like - What have I done to deserve this?
Why me of all people? Why am I so unlucky? Why?
Why?
Instead,
we should learn to accept and live with the truth.
Try to know your limits at each stage of your
illness, take good care of yourself love it and
treasure it. After all, there are many things
happening beyond our control but at least, we
are still masters of our own bodies, the 'new-me'.
Penned
by "Little Mimosa" |
