This is my first post on this great new blog (so I may be a bit biased!) called “The Life We Cherish”. This has been brewing in my mind for a long time and I am thrilled to have finally got it out onto my screen.
This is a postive and helpful space where people living with illness and injury can come for comfort, inspiration, motivation, laughs, joy and, I am hoping, so much more. So if you are looking for a place where you can acknowledge the challenges that you live with everyday but am not looking for a “you poor thing” undercurrent, then this is the place for you.
The theme of this blog can be summed up in two quotes from the same man – Lao Tzu. They are two quotes that speak to my heart. The first is:
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be”
This is especially significant when you are living with chronic illness or injury. It is sometimes so easy, when you are feeling a bit weaker physically and mentally, to start to “become” your illness. It can become your identity, especially if you have had to give up work or if it is the only thing that people talk to you about, it becomes a full time occupation. I had to make a conscious decision to not BE my illness anymore and this quote inspired me to think outside my illness. I am ready to let go of “what” I am (sick) so that I can become what I might be (happy, joyous, enthusiastic, thriving – not at all what you associate with illness!). When I need to be reminded of this I read this quote again and it makes my heart soar because it means that anything is possible if I just let go of my idea of who I am and what I can achieve.
The second quote is:
“Great acts are made up of small deeds”
This quote reminds me of my struggle with depression. I was diagnosed with clinical depression but I was unable to take prescribed medication for it due to other medication I was already on. So I had to do it from the bottom up, totally naturally. And so I started with small “deeds”. Buying a nice cup to help me enjoy my comforting cups of tea even more. Little walks with my dog. Aromatherapy. Sitting in the sunshine. Getting an eyelash tint. Talking to a psychologist. Talking to my loved ones about how I felt. All these small deeds made a great “act”. On there own they were possibly useless, together they were very powerful and got me through it. Living with chronic illness is, in itself, A GREAT ACT and it makes it so much more important to just do the little things everyday that make you happy. My experience also taught me that grand gestures meant nothing compared to a simple “I love you” or “I am scared”. Small acts, everyday, eventually make a lifetime of amazing memories and lessons.
Chronic illness and injury can rob you of your hopes and dreams – if you let it. Sometimes we need to focus on the small ways we can reclaim our identity or independence. Sometimes we need to look past our disability to see the person who we really are inside, not just who we are physically. And that is the theme for this blog. We deserve to reach for the stars, even if our bodies want to keep us firmly planted on the ground. It is my wish that this blog be a tool for you to reach for your stars.
All the best, Lily
For more information on this blog and myself please see the ABOUT page
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I am so proud of you Lil. You write so eloquently and I’m sure this page will be an inspiration to so many others.
Love you heaps,
Jessie
xx
Good on you Lily, you are and always have been an inspiration to me with your positive and happy attitude towards life, yours and others around you.
Well done!!
Michelle
Well done Lily! You are an amazing person whose attitudes and beliefs on life inspire so many people and with this you have created the opportunity to reach more. An amazing piece of writing.
Kathleen
xo
Lily
I am not sure if you know how much you already inspire so many people through your positive presence and your “little acts of kindness”… you are a true gem and I am so honoured to have you in my life as a cousin and a friend!
Love you Lil
Lauren
Lily , Good on you sister . I see your hard work has gone to good use . Really loved your page.
Just that little bit of reading has got me thinking about life . Thanks lily for being my sister
you inspire me more then you would ever think .
I LOVE YOU !!!
XXXXXXX
maren k
Dear Lily
You are in my thoughts everyday – what beautiful words you write. You have had it tough but you have risen above it like the trouper you are. I am very proud to be your auntie. Look up and give thanks, love you lots my sweet, Penny xxxxxxxxxoooooo
I love the visual of reaching for the stars even when illness keeps the body planted on the ground. When I read that statement the immediate thought was hope. It served to reinforce that there is a force greater than us who can keep the light burning in our soul even when are feet are to the fire. I’m looking forward to reading more about the life we cherish.
I needed words as the ones above, nothing can stop our dreams!
Thank you!!
I admire your strength and beauty of spirit. In hearing your song, I find comfort.
Thank you much and God Bless you….
Sadiq
So I am a 22 year old with Chronic pain/fatigue, migraines and insomnia and I have to say it has been far to long since I have met or come to know someone else who struggles daily with their illness and/or their pain. I found comfort in this blog tonight. I found a sense that I am not as alone and doomed as I may seem. There was a particular quote that caught me off guard…”Sometimes we need to focus on the small ways we can reclaim our identity or independence. Sometimes we need to look past our disability to see the person who we really are inside, not just who we are physically.” I struggle daily with this task for I feel the person I am inside knows no boundaries at all. It seems that my hopes and dreams and happiness exist in a world without my chronic illness, a world I cannot get to. I have never considered that it is in the acceptance of this that I can go on with my life. I have always viewed my illness as a barrier to the achievement of my dreams and the to the path I feel called to fallow. My illness has come to define my every move and the problem is I see no end in sight, just more pain.