What happened in Part I
Whether or not we have a chronic disease, we all do what we have to do to get through each day, and sometimes that means simply putting one foot in front of the other. But if we recognize what we're up against, we can face o...
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Orders Up
John Wolf
Friday, February 22, 2008 at 07:37 PMre: Orders Up
Jane Martin
Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 09:53 AMJohn, I think I see your point. As parents, we might have different ways of getting there, but I think we have the same final outcome in mind. We do our best with what we've been given; when it comes to our health, our work life, our children, whatever or whomever. Sometimes we might be told by more cynical people that we're doing too much for our kids -- going above and beyond -- but at the end of the day I just want to be able to say I did my very best, and then I can live with that.
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You touched a nerve for many people
Shirley Parker
Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 01:05 AMAs one who has lived with numerous chronic conditions - none of them of my deliberate choosing - I can really relate to this article! I most definitely did not order this life, even though I volunteered to come to Earth. Just getting out of bed each day in this sphere can be a challenge when we're depressed, for example. We move forward in spite of often deep pain because sitting still isn't an option (and who wants to slide backwards down the hill?). I have no love affair with the steamroller brigade, those who are just waiting for me to "hold it right there" so they can mow me down! That said, life's real disappointments are many, both minor and major. As for the garbage jobs we often end up having to do, there are few suitable words. We can only treasure the learning that comes with the disappointments, and love our dear ones for who they are. On the very worst days, we hide from the debris raining down. Next day we can venture out to see who has survived their choices this time and determine if we still have any relatives to set alongside our friends.
replyre: You touched a nerve for many people
jane Martin
Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 10:03 AM"We can only treasure the learning that comes with the disappointments, and love our dear ones for who they are." So beautifully said, Shirley!
Once we can just get over ourselves and the fact that things didn't turn out the way we thought they should, we can move on and start getting to the 'good part.' We're then freed up to look at things in a new way.
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But... I Didn't Order this life
Lori Palermo
Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 07:31 PMMy name is Lori from Gouldsboro, PA. We all want the best of everything in life, a life of good health and happiness. But we never get exactly what we want. This awesome story hits home for me in several ways. My order wasn't for my son to quit college after 3 1/2 years, only 1 semester to go, to leave me with a debt i'll be paying probably the rest of my life. My order wasn't for my son's girlfriend to get pregnant and me to be a grandmother at a young age... but.... the most precious part of my life now is my angel, my 1 year old granddaughter Cora Lynn.
The order I definately did not put in for was to watch my dad, my hero, struggle for every breath of air, then after 13 years pass away from COPD/Emphysema.
But we do learn many lessons in life. And we learn to cope with what has been handed to us. Whether it is a large college bill, a beautiful granddaughter, or the devastating loss of a loved one.
We all have to accept what has been placed on our plate and deal with it the best way that we can...... This story tells us that whether we have been dealt with a family disappointment or a chronic health problem.... we do need to make the best of our life...we only live once.
I have made the best of mine by seeing my precious angel Cora as much as I can. And as I could not help my dad with his disease, I had to put my grief in an effort to help others with COPD, by launching my own website In Memory of him. We should all learn a valuable lesson from this story. Thank you Jane!
Thank you,
Lori Palermo
www.loveyourlungsbreatheforlife.com
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I Didn't Order This Life, But I'll Take What I Get
Lois W. Stern
Monday, March 24, 2008 at 05:29 PMMy grandfather may not have been formally educated, but he was nonetheless a compassionate, wise man. Rarely did a day pass without him uttering a story, parable, or thoughful reflection about some topical event. I remember many of them, but here is one that seems so relevant to Jane Martin's marvelous article, I Didn't Order This LIfe.
"If we could all hang our troubles on the line, we would soon each run to grab back our own."
It was his witty way of saying, "No matter how bad things seem, someone out there is worse off than you, so count your blessings, not your sorrows."
That might have worked for Grandpa Isaac, but as much as I try, it doesn't always work for me. Yet I have learned from this uneven life that when stuff happens - I mean the stuff I surely haven't hoped for - I often learn something that benefits me later on. So I try to ask myself, what life lesson could I learn from this experience? Answering that question has helped me become a stronger, more resilient person. Perhaps that is one reason roadblocks are thrown in our path.
Lois W. Stern
Author of SEX, LIES AND COSMETIC SURGERY
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