There has been so many painful losses cost by the loss of my health and missing out on beautiful memories with friends and family while being to ill to join along in the nights out, or weekend plans, or vacations. For the 1st 10 years of my illness, this probably caused my the MOST of all my pain, not the illness itself, not the physical pain itself… the emotional pain of missing out on so much life with my loved ones. It has gotten a bit easier through the years thanks to the practice of “mudita” which is a Buddhist phrase meaning deriving joy from the joy of others. Like the joy you feel in giving a gift to someone… I now always think of any time me loved ones are having a joyful time, I think what a gift it is to them that I am so happy for them to receive. In this way taking the focus off myself helps profoundly.
Image: woman sitting in a stool gazing out a window at a group of friend at Disney world. “My chronic illness has cost me to miss out on so many memories with my friends and family.”
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