As a mom who suffers from chronic illness, I sometimes need a little encouragement. Most days, I am able to handle the demands of the life. However, occasionally, I find myself mired in pain, frustration, guilt, and fatigue too overwhelming to handle. On those days, I look for ways to encourage myself.
As I write this post, I realize there are many of you who suffer the same frustrations as I. Know this: You are not alone, and you are stronger than you think.
You Are Valuable, and You Are Needed
I know many moms who suffer from diabetes, and there are days when they cannot function. I have heard them lament about how they feel “useless” or “frustrated” because they couldn’t fix dinner or do the daily household chores as a result of out-of-control glucose scores.
Being a diabetic myself, I understand their frustrations. However, I have learned it doesn’t serve my family when I allow my self-worth to plummet, not even for a moment.
They need me to remain aware of my value at all times. The reason? As long as I see myself as useful, even when I’m not able to function, it helps me find little things I can do, like listen to one of my children read a book or give him or her a word of encouragement. Just because I need to lie down doesn’t mean I’m unable to contribute to the good of my family. YOU ARE VALUABLE BECAUSE YOU ARE A MOM! Your very presence is enough; so don’t ever doubt your worth
You Are a Warrior
Someone once told me, “You are stronger than you realize.” It’s true. You are stronger than you realize. You prove it every morning when you get out of bed after a long night of insomnia, pain, or an ER visit. You prove it every time you eat what you should instead of what you want. You prove it every time you take handfuls of medications that keep you alive. You prove it when you are taking care of your children as if there was nothing wrong.
You Are Loved
The greatest truth I learned while enduring 14 surgeries in the last 16 years is that I am loved unconditionally by my family. I have always suffered from low self-esteem. I used to have trouble accepting that anyone would love me, but somehow in the middle of the night somewhere around surgery number eight, a revelation dawned on me. My husband was carrying me to the bathroom at 3:00 a.m., and I knew he would be going to work at 5:00 a.m. He never complained. It was at that moment I thought, “He loves me. He should run away from me and this rotten body of mine, yet here he is not expecting anything from me except that I get better. He really loves me.” We had been married 19 years, and that was the first time I accepted the fact that my husband really loves me and wasn’t trapped or just putting up with me.
So this is my question: Who has been there for you? Do you realize they aren’t trapped, and they love you? These days, I know how to accept love. I see little acts of kindness as love in action, and I accept them without question. I hope you do too.
You Are Someone’s Hero
This one is true and hard for me to grasp. However, I have had people tell me they can’t believe all I have been through and that I still manage to keep going. I don’t know you, but I know that if you are a mom who suffers from chronic illness, you are at least your husband’s hero, and/or your children’s hero.
We don’t always realize it but there is always someone watching what we do and how we handle adversity. I know a lot of moms who suffer from chronic illnesses of all kinds and most of them are my heros. I see them going beyond their limitations to care for their families and sometimes jobs, churches, or communities because we woman are hardwired to take care of others. I promise you those who you serve see the sacrifices you make as heroic. They are looking up to you and the admire your strength, courage, and fortitude to keep on going in the face of difficulty.
Your Life Matters
If you are like me, and you have lived through more than one life-threatening illness but didn’t die, be assured you are still here for a reason! Your voice is important in someone’s life. You’re an encouragement to someone. You are a blessing with a purpose, and God still has a plan for your life.
On a daily basis, I ask myself, Why am I still here? To be honest, I never really have a good answer for that, but I know this — my children and my husband need me. There is no one on earth who can fill my shoes in their lives, and the same is true for your spouse and your children. You are a unique light in their life that cannot be replaced.
