Cricket
11-09-2001, 02:57 AM
"Pray don't find fault with the man who limps
or stumbles along the road,
unless you have worn the shoes he wears
or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
though hidden away from view,
or the burden he bears, placed on your back
might cause you to stumble too.
Don't sneer at the man who's down today
unless you have felt the blow
that cause his fall or felt the shame
that only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows
that were his if dealt to you,
in the selfsame way, at the selfsame time,
might cause you to stagger too."
~Author Unknown
------------------------
When family and friends let you down, show them compassion.
We all know how hard it is to live with chronic illness. Think about how hard it must be for those who love us, and who care about us, and who can do nothing to take the illness away. As difficult as it is for us to live with the physical pain, I think it's much more difficult for those who care about us to live with the emotional pain of watching us suffer.
As supportive as some loved ones may be, or try to be, how frustrating it must be for them. There was a time when my husband's kind, and loving, and tender support was, over the years, replaced by anger and rage. When he finally opened up and poured out all that he'd been holding inside, I understood how much heavier his burden was/is compared to mine. He told me how inadequate he felt as a husband, and as a friend, because there was nothing he could do to take the pain away. All he could offer me was support, and instead of letting him know that he gave me strength, I took his love for granted. I added to his burden by failing to tell him how much I appreciated his hugs, his kisses, the gentle and kind words. I focused on myself and was blind to his suffering.
We aren't in this alone. Everything we do affects those around us. We know how heavy our burdens are. Now is the time to take a moment to think about how heavy the load is for those who love us. You can take away a little of their burden by letting them know that even the tiniest bit of support helps a lot.
"You may be strong, but still the blows
that were his if dealt to you,
in the selfsame way, at the selfsame time,
might cause you to stagger too."
With Love,
Cricket
or stumbles along the road,
unless you have worn the shoes he wears
or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
though hidden away from view,
or the burden he bears, placed on your back
might cause you to stumble too.
Don't sneer at the man who's down today
unless you have felt the blow
that cause his fall or felt the shame
that only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows
that were his if dealt to you,
in the selfsame way, at the selfsame time,
might cause you to stagger too."
~Author Unknown
------------------------
When family and friends let you down, show them compassion.
We all know how hard it is to live with chronic illness. Think about how hard it must be for those who love us, and who care about us, and who can do nothing to take the illness away. As difficult as it is for us to live with the physical pain, I think it's much more difficult for those who care about us to live with the emotional pain of watching us suffer.
As supportive as some loved ones may be, or try to be, how frustrating it must be for them. There was a time when my husband's kind, and loving, and tender support was, over the years, replaced by anger and rage. When he finally opened up and poured out all that he'd been holding inside, I understood how much heavier his burden was/is compared to mine. He told me how inadequate he felt as a husband, and as a friend, because there was nothing he could do to take the pain away. All he could offer me was support, and instead of letting him know that he gave me strength, I took his love for granted. I added to his burden by failing to tell him how much I appreciated his hugs, his kisses, the gentle and kind words. I focused on myself and was blind to his suffering.
We aren't in this alone. Everything we do affects those around us. We know how heavy our burdens are. Now is the time to take a moment to think about how heavy the load is for those who love us. You can take away a little of their burden by letting them know that even the tiniest bit of support helps a lot.
"You may be strong, but still the blows
that were his if dealt to you,
in the selfsame way, at the selfsame time,
might cause you to stagger too."
With Love,
Cricket