Noooooowww, she gets it.
I have a friend at church that I was asking how she was doing. She has had some back problems since last February. I said something about her having to deal with chronic health issues and she said,
"I never understood chronic pain before this."
EUREKA!
She sat down and we chatted for while and one more person in this world understands a little bit about what life is like with a chronic illness. Too bad someone has to experience "it" to understand. It isn't that I am happy for her pain, but I think it is interesting that someone has to feel something in order to understand another person. She was talking about all of the things she hasn't been able to do and how frustrating it is for her. She was looking at me like she finally realized a little bit about what it is I am dealing with (and I've never really talked about my illness specifically to most people at church).
There you have it.
carry on.
"I never understood chronic pain before this."
EUREKA!
She sat down and we chatted for while and one more person in this world understands a little bit about what life is like with a chronic illness. Too bad someone has to experience "it" to understand. It isn't that I am happy for her pain, but I think it is interesting that someone has to feel something in order to understand another person. She was talking about all of the things she hasn't been able to do and how frustrating it is for her. She was looking at me like she finally realized a little bit about what it is I am dealing with (and I've never really talked about my illness specifically to most people at church).
There you have it.
carry on.
Replies
Regarding the comment that it is too bad that someone has to experience \"it\" to understand...there is a lot of truth to that, but i also feel that some people CAN understand to maybe a lesser degree without going through it....however, they are few and far between.
And it is comforting in a sad way, to find others who get it due to their own issues...misery loves company so I guess that sort of applies here.
To be totally honest with you Katy, I\'m not sure I ever appreciated chronic illness sufferers much myself either....until it happened to me. I\'ve worked in hospitals for a lifetime, and everyone I saw everyday was in bed, sick! I guess it just sort of seemed normal. And everyone had canes, and walkers and was in rehab. That was my job! So I had love and empathy for these people, because I saw them struggling all the time, every day.
Many people never come across others with chronic illness. They have no clue, that it means, every day, all the time.....we are not well! Stuff is wrong! They don\'t get it unless we tell them. I\'m so glad you shared a bit about yourself with your church friend. I\'m sorry she has pain too. But unfortunately, I do believe you are right. People have to walk a mile in our shoes before they can even glimpse into what one day is like, for us.
Soooooo, there ya have it!!
I\'ve learned not to share my troubles with people anymore. The only people who seemed to understand were people who have ME/CFS or fibro.
I keep expecting people to do better, but they never seem to. Maybe if someone really famous gets sick, some of them will get it then. People worship celebrities...except for politicians, of course. They are not famous, they\'re infamous...lol.