Chronically Joyful

While this blog is a centralized space to ponder over all things chronic illness, MS, the warrior mindset and everything in between, sometimes it’s absolutely okay to focus on the little things that bring you even just a spark of joy throughout the week. A lesson I am currently trying to remind myself of every day is to stop taking life so seriously! We’re alive to enjoy what this planet has to offer afterall, so why not make the best of the time we have here? 

5 things that brought me joy this week:

Temperate Weather

Humans are organisms too, and we all flourish under sunlight. The beginning of this week started out cold and gloomy, but slowly as the days have gone on, Spring is finally in the air! Not only does this do wonders for my mental health in general, but also leads to incredibly temperate symptoms in comparison to what they can be in more extreme weather. I find that spending time outside, unplugged, is the easiest way to recalibrate my mental headspace and overall energy levels. One of my favorite joyful moments was taking the time to go for a walk around the beautiful campus in the middle of my work day whilst at the office; I never take the perks of my job for granted, that’s for sure. 

Healing, Deep Conversations 

I am currently in a season that is toeing the line between incredibly challenging and very awakening. One moment, I am crying in the bathroom at work completely unable to accept my circumstances; the next, I am skipping on a walk with Puddles on a beautiful day. This is the art (lol, curse?) of being human, but what really stands out in times of turmoil is the people who step forward to be there as a support. I am abundantly grateful for the people in my circle – they are individually sensational in their own right but the one thing everyone has in common is their enormous hearts. I am thankful to be loved deeply by many, and twice as grateful to have a safe space to be able to talk about what’s going on with people who genuinely care. When I am able to have deep, healing conversations with someone I love, it helps me manage my symptoms significantly better. When I’m emotionally heightened, I tend to have worse or more intense symptoms, but having the opportunity to release harder emotions helps me manage MS waaaayyyyy easier. 

Puddles 

A life without Puddles is a life without sunshine as I recently found out when she was vacationing at her dad’s while I was away for a work trip. She is the most loving, goofiest giant baby goober I have ever had the pleasure of loving and my life would look a lot less bright without her! Not only is she just a big ball of unconditional love, but she’s helped to keep me active in the outdoors through the winter months which has notoriously been very unlike me. I don’t particularly love cold weather and tend to become a hermitting little blanket blob during the winter time, but Puddles was born and bred in the Swiss Alps – it would be a disservice to her not to get outside. I may have been able to declare that I am no longer heat intolerant, but I am still fairly cold intolerant. 

Hot Tea on a Cold, Dreary Day

There are few better things than that first sip of a tea you really love on a wintry day – it really warms the soul! I made it a goal to drink more tea this year and while I’m not exactly sure why, I’m excited to embark on that cozy little journey. Cheers to being comfortable and happy! 

Unconditional Love, Support & Empathy during Hard Times

Something I have recently learned about myself is that while I do my best to remain authentic, I have a hard time emoting what I’m actually feeling. Thanks to MS, I’m very much used to putting on a brave face at all times; while I do naturally tend to laugh things off because I’d rather spend time laughing over crying, I feel hypocritical in telling other people that crying is okay when I refuse to let myself. This past week, I didn’t really have much choice in the matter – my feelings were so deep and so raw, I was bursting into tears spontaneously in my car, secretly in the bathroom at work, on walks with Puddles, on the phone with my parents…everywhere. It served as a lesson that people come closer when you let yourself authentically feel, and it’s okay to lean on others for support when you need to. While I don’t intend to be crying at work anymore in the near future, it was really nice to learn that I am surrounded by the most amazing colleagues, friends, and family a girl could ever ask for. Feel your feelings and don’t push them down – but do discern when you’re comfortable to be really, really raw. 

Those are 5 things that brought me joy this week! It was one of the hardest weeks I’ve had in a long time, and clinging to the little things really made it turn around. Things feel brighter and hopeful in comparison to where they started, so, in my usual fashion –

Onward and upward, friends! With love and light, focus on the things that bring a smile to your face.