The Fight

With the arrival of spring, I can't help but be reminded that soon I will have the summer heat to contend with. Basically, the heat intensifies the fatigue I already feel every day. It's just part of the ongoing fight between me and MS, the condition I have been dealing with for the past eleven years.

We weren't always at odds with one another. In the beginning MS pretty much left me alone, but for a while now, MS seems to want to push me around, and is always challenging me. While my invisible opponent does have an unfair advantage, and does not fight fair, I feel I am a formidable contender.

Sometimes we go several rounds in a day as I push through the fatigue trying to get things done. It's like standing up to a bully and refusing to back down. It's not easy. Sometimes I get tired of the struggling. Sometimes I get so angry with this illness that I ball my hands into fists, challenging it right back.

It takes determination. I can't let MS keep me from doing things. It has already messed with my life enough. MS pushes, and I push back. Fighting back makes me feel good. I feel like it energizes me, and it helps me to stay positive. I feel proud of myself for being strong enough to keep fighting.

MS will not knock me out. I will stay on my feet. No matter how hard the fight, I will come out on top.

What I Love About Spring

Now that winter has finally released its grip, the robins have returned, and the grass is a lovely emerald green. While I wait for the April showers to bring May flowers, my thoughts turn to all the Spring things I enjoy that are just a couple of weeks away.

Like clipping lilacs and picking lily of the valley and enjoying their sweet fragrances. The warmer weather, the longer days. Opening up all the windows in the house and letting in the fresh air. Driving with my window rolled down listening to my favorite songs. And, of course, that wonderful Spring fever, with its rush of positive energy and feelings of optimism and excitement.

I can't wait to take advantage of that burst of energy and get started on my spring cleaning. This is the time of year to get organized, to clear out the clutter, pack away the winter gear and hang fresh curtains.

I'm looking forward to getting out of the house more, going to the park, maybe planting some flowers. Just to be spending time outdoors again will be such a welcome change after being cooped up in the house all winter long.

Spring is a time of rebirth and new beginnings. A time when everything feels fresh. A time to feel rejuvenated and hopeful again.




Welcome back, Spring!

As Luck Would Have It...

It's St. Patrick's Day, and while I have yet to catch that leprechaun and his pot of gold, I have to say yes to that old Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry question: yes, I am feelin' lucky.

Luck plays a role in a lot of things that happen in life. Sometimes you're the lucky winner. Sometimes you find a bright shiny penny on the ground that presumably is a sign of luck. You avoid an accident, you make the shot that wins the game. Sometimes you survive something catastrophic, and you feel "lucky to be alive."

We test our luck. We gamble, we take chances. We rely on a good luck charm; we wear our lucky shirt. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Luck is fickle. And it's always there, deciding whether or not to jump in and favorably affect the outcome.

I feel lucky today. Lucky to have had the opportunities I have had. Lucky to be doing as well as I am physically, despite having MS. Despite my troubles, I do feel lucky. Maybe I don't have the luck of the Irish, but I feel like things are going to get better. I feel like more luck is due to come my way - it is not gone for good.

I will catch that leprechaun yet!