Hi Friends,
I'm new here. My hope is to read all of your shares and gain strength in knowing that I am not alone, but a warrior who is a part of a battalion of like-minded warriors who must struggle in order to survive and thrive inside our lives.
Here is my share ...
My name is Jennifer: I am 48; I am happily divorced since 1998; I have two stupendous adult children (daughter is 22 and my son is 19); 2 adorable cats; and an amazingly supportive , kind, caring, hilarious boyfriend. As a child I suffered with chronic kidney disease, which has followed me into my adulthood; I have always been over-weight; I was raped from the age of 8 up until the age of 13 by my kidney doctor; I was abused by my husband during our 9 year marriage; and for 20 some years I have been dealing with: arthritis in both my knees and hands; 8 herniated discs that leave me in chronic pain, chronic headaches; pain in both my heels; problems with my digestion; and as of 2011 gout (painful form of arthritis).
Throughout my life I have had a difficult time with more than a few tragedies to focus me. So, to help me stay motivated, I have always been drawn to people who have a story about their struggles and success. Their stories inspired me, and have taught me how to be courageous in my own life. I also grew to admire these people because they have fought their battles, and won.
At age 48, I am still searching for motivation because many of my health problems are chronic and cannot simply be controlled by medication. However, as my list of personal health issues grow, I am finding that I am choosing to be more selective in who I look to for motivation. Simply put, I guess I’m really just looking to meet and make a connection with people who are a lot like me.
In the world there exists a group of people who have to fight against many different challenges. I am one of those people. Me, along with my comrades, form a different kind of a group of survivors; despite our many obstacles, every day we choose to fight past our many struggles, and numerous setbacks; and despite our valiant efforts, have not yet reached our finish line; and we know and accept that we may never have that elusive happy ending. Yet, we are a resilient group of survivors. We have realized our realities, and changed our goals to fit our realities, not society’s, or a doctor’s, or a friend’s. We work hard at embracing who we are, and accepting everything about ourselves, and this includes facts about our health, how we look, how we feel, and what we can, and cannot achieve. We are a special group of survivors. We have honestly embraced who we truly and deeply are, and have come to lovingly accept ourselves that way and to revel in it. Those are the people I now want to meet; and I know that you are out there, because I am one of you.
I am here on this site to reach out to you all; and by reading what you have to say I hope to learn from you; be inspired by you; become motivated by you; and hopefully become your confident and friend.
I wish you love and success, and, most importantly, I wish for all of us to be able to put every ounce of our energies into living our best selves.
Ox Jen
