A Happy Mother's Day
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| The latest arrival for Mother's Day... a bouquet of flowers arrived from Adam in Texas. |
As always, Sheila had a nice Mother's Day this year. The weather was fair most of the day which meant we could spend some time outdoors between rain showers.
Whitney stopped by to wish her mom a Happy Mother's Day and drop off a nice gift.
Liza and the grandchildren stopped by to wish Sheila a Happy Mother's Day which provided Sheila with one of the best gifts of the day... Sheila got to spend some play time with the grandchildren!
Sheila's parents visited for a bit to wish Sheila a Happy Mother's Day. We wish they could have stayed longer but it was nice to see them and thoughtful of them to stop by to say hello.
Today, flowers arrived from Adam wishing Sheila a Happy Mother's Day! Currently, Adam is in Wichita Falls, Texas fending off a long barrage of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes while finishing up his Technical Training. I've sent my fair share of flowers throughout my career by way of the national network of florists and it is nice to see that Adam picked up on this convenient service so quickly after starting his own career. I'm sure Sheila is very excited to have received this gift today!
Overall, we had a nice relaxing day with nothing significant to accomplish before nightfall... and that is nice every now and then! I'm sure Sheila enjoyed her special day... Happy Mother's Day, Sheila!
Hi Patrick,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Wendy and I work with your beautiful and lovely partner, Sheila. She shares pictures of her family with me; which I absolutely love. You take beautiful pictures! I have really enjoyed looking at them, so thank you for sharing. While on your site, I have read a few of your blogs and I just wanted to share my feelings/thoughts with you. You write very clearly and easy to understand, so reading your blog about "Your Daily life....." helped me to really understand what you go through on a daily basis. I don't think I will ever complain again that my allergies are bothering me and I'm miserable because of it, or that my neck hurts from sleeping wrong. I do suffer from food allergies (nothing to your level), so I understand when you describe some of your unpleasant issues you have. I can't imagine what you go through on an hourly/daily basis. What I see and hear is an incredibly strong man who is a fighter. The fact that you don't use pain medication and your approach to that topic is absolutely astounding, courageous and admirable. I also think it says a lot about your character to be able to share personal details on your disease to complete strangers. I admire you. To say one person is lucky to be with another is not accurate, as I think both you and Sheila are very blessed to be in each other's lives. Sheila's eyes actually twinkle when she talks about you, which for me is wonderful to see. I wish you all the best in your days, and again thank you for allowing to me share my thoughts with you.
Hi Wendy... thanks for reading, thanks for the kind words and thanks for understanding.
DeleteAbout writing here in a public forum and opening up to strangers... I did keep my illness a secret for a short while and thought it would be best if nobody knew. How wrong that thought process is! I found that people were accusing me of some far worse things because of my behavior due to my illness... ie, being drunk when I fall over for no reason or can't walk, being flakey when I need to change plans at the last minute, being irresponsible when I am late and can't seem to get anything accomplished, explaining why an ambulance had to pick me up in the local grocery store, etc.
When I opened up and told everyone the real reason for my odd behavior, a HUGE weight was lifted off my shoulders. With chronic illness, you must surround yourself with people/friends/family who truly understand. If the people in your life are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem. Those struggling with chronic illness must effectively manage what little energy they have and wasting energy on people who are problematic is absurd, self-destructive and just plain stupid.
After opening up about my health, for a number of years I was an active participant and board member for a national support group. I wrote papers which have been used by patients, regional support groups and doctors. Even today, every now and then, a newly diagnosed patient will contact me with questions seeking advice. If I'm feeling fairly well and have some time, I will guide them toward the help they need but, for the most part, I really try to avoid everything having to do with support groups now. After a certain point, support groups tend to drag patients down because you are constantly reminded of the illness and your past struggles and you see too many deaths... then begin to wonder, "how much time do I have left?" I just wanted to point out that not only have I opened my life and illness to the world but I also have been active in the past in national support groups as well as being an outspoken advocate for patient rights, patient dignity and aid for the disabled.
Anyway, there were far too many people in my life who simply could not understand my illness, my difficulties, my struggles, or really anything pertaining to my disabilities, so I felt that writing here in this blog would help with that. Even if only one person a month comes away from this blog with a better understanding of why I am a bit flakey today, then it was worth it.
Thanks again for the kind words... I am, indeed, very fortunately to have met Sheila and to have her in my life!
Your welcome Patrick, as it felt good telling you those things. I do have to comment about people. I find it so sad that people are so self absorbed and inconsiderate of others around them and what could possibly be going on in their life. My mother taught me as a teenager to never jump to conclusions about someone unless you know for a fact what's going on for them. She said when someone doesn't smile at you or return a polite greeting, most times it has nothing to do with you. They could of just lost a loved one, gotten into a fight with their spouse, lost their job etc..... I found that to be a valuable tool throughout my life. As I've gotten older, its easier for me to put myself in someone else's shoes (or try to imagine) and I always react with less negativity and with more understanding than I ever did. It's sad when you realize someone who you thought was your friend, really isn't someone who is good for you. I did some "spring cleaning" of all toxic people I had chosen to have in my life and said goodbye to them. I have a lot less people in my life, but me and the quality of my life are much better and a lot happier.
ReplyDeleteAgain, Patrick I think you are an amazing individual and I hope only the best for you. :)