12/02/2009

Give and Take

The last few weeks have been tough for me. It started with a flare-up from my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) back on my daughter's special airport day that moved to my wrists and just doesn't want to subside. I've been taking Aleve and I'm still finding time to crochet and work on my special orders, but after two weeks of treating my right wrist very gingerly, I'm starting to get discouraged.

Since I have to take more breaks from my projects, I've been spending a little more time than usual on the web. I've been hitting blogs and sites created by and for people with RA. This morning, I read the most inspiring story about a young woman named Pamela who was diagnosed with RA as a teenager. Pamela is looking at spending the rest of her life with RA pain and fatigue, but she's a hopeful, positive young woman with a great outlook on life.

And that's the part that I take.

Reading about others living with RA (like Pamela) gives me strength and courage to keep up with what I'm doing (namely, raising a beautiful little girl and crocheting my heart out in the spare moments in between). But these stories also make me want to give. I've been blessed with a lot of creative talent and I really want to share that with others. In the words of the old Coke song, "I'd like to build the world a home and furnish it with love" -- or at least furnish it with a few fuzzy whazzits!

Unfortunately, that's still a lot of fuzzy whazzits. So, for now I'm going to start by giving encouragement and support. I may not be able to crochet for more than an hour today, but you can bet I'm going to pick that hook up again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that. And if picking up my crochet hook can give strength to one other person, then it's all worth it.


Afterword...

If you would like to give some encouragement or learn more about living with RA, I encourage you to visit some of these great blogs:

Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior by Kelly Young
The Single Gal's Guide to RA by Sara Nash
Autoimmune Portrait Project by Jodi McKee
From this point. Forward. by Mariah Zebrowski

1 comment:

  1. I hope you don't mind my sharing, but I was moved and inspired by your post. Mostly...I get it!

    It's ironic isn't it? The things we love most are sometimes our biggest challenge.

    I am blind in one eye. It cannot be corrected and my vision will only get worse as I continue to get older. My driver's license has restrictions and there are certain jobs I'll never be able to have because I cannot pass the eye exam.

    I am now at the point where I have to wear glasses full time and have had to strengthen the prescription x3 in the last 4 years. And of course what I love to do...is create jewelry. Those tiny little rings and beads and connectors, all get more and more difficult to see. I could sit and work in my 'peaceful place' all day, but my eyes wont allow it.

    Like you I am so inspired and appreciative of the gift and for the love I have for my craft. I can't devote the time and energy I'd like to anymore, but for as long as I can...even if it's in little snippets of time I will keep on keeping on.

    So RA and blindness ain't got nothing on us girl. We got the love of the craft and sometimes...that's more than enough.

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