Faith and Spirituality

I intentionally don't discuss religion in my blog because I want people of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds to feel comfortable when they enter my world. Religion, after all, has caused conflict since the beginning of humanity. My own extended family includes people of different religious faiths or no religion at all. My philosophy is that we are all human.

Still, I thought it would be interesting if I included this one entry about faith and spirituality.

Though I do associate myself with a particular religious group, I do not attend regular services. Because of my CFIDS, being around groups of people (which usually equals a large amount of noise) can be overwhelming. My attention span leaves much to be desired, and it requires an exorbitant amount of physical and mental energy to make "small talk" with anyone other than my husband.

I consider myself more of a "spiritual person" rather than a "religious person." I think there are many beautiful religions out there that have something to teach us. I believe that everything happens for a reason (even the bad things), though we still have the free will to choose our actions. I believe we should treat others how we want to be treated. I think there is something to be said about karma. I think Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and the current Dalai Lama are people to be admired. I believe in peace and tolerance. I also believe in the power of positive thinking.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that I live in some sort of la-la-land of pink bows, fluffy clouds, and sunshine 24-7. I am very aware of all the bad and scary things out there, including hate, war, and disease...especially the disease part.

I suppose what I'm trying to express in this stream-of-consciousness entry is that my world would be a much darker and more depressing world if I didn't hold onto the belief that I have CFIDS for a reason. I'm still trying to figure out what the reason is, but I'm starting to get an inkling.

I'm more compassionate now than I was before I got sick. I used to be one of those people that might say, "but you don't look sick." I'm more patient with others because I've had to learn to be patient with myself. I'm also trying to be an advocate for people with this disease by writing government officials and the media about CFS. I have opened up my life to the world by writing this blog so that more people (including my own family) could better understand CFS.

Of course, if I had a choice, I'd "give back" the CFIDS.

Today's Activities: work. Today's Symptoms: exhaustion, mild headache; active eczema on left underarm and right ankle; rash on back and abdomen healing.

Mood (10 is best): 5
Energy (10 is best): 3
Physical Discomfort (10 is worst): 3