COPD - Let Me Hug You

The following is a post I made a couple of years ago. It was at a forum and in response to someone who had COPD and had posted about being frightened and depressed, feeling life was over. The forum has now posted this in their "stories" section. LOL I thought I would share it here and hope that someone will be helped in some way. We're in this together!
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Feeling overwhelmed… discouraged…hopeless?

Come here and let me hug you...{{{{{{{{{{{O}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}.

Yes, dear one, I know what you mean and have been down myself the past couple of days, feeling like what I do doesn't matter. Then I make another blessings list and have a chat with my inner self.

You know, sometimes we do get caught in the net of focusing only on what we can no longer do, the things we can still do but have to make adjustments to do them, the ways in which we must alter our lifestyles when everyone around us can just go on about their ways without any real changes, without really thinking about it; on autopilot. Then, we see how it affects our families and the many ways they, too, must change because of us ~ our disease.

It's vicious, isn't it? But, then I remember that each time I hear a baby cry, God/dess has not yet tired of man and He/She has not yet tired of me. I (and you) are here for a reason.

We may be paying the consequences of having made some bad choices when it comes to our health, but we are strong...stronger I think, because of the dis-ease. We fight tooth and nail and we get so tired. So very tired. But we press onward, forward. We are here, my friend. We are strong in spite of the dis-ease. We are super intelligent in making changes and finding ways to hold on to our quality of life and our independence.

AND, we have family who love us enough to stand with us through those changes and make changes with us. Not everyone of us has that family. We are living, moving, BREATHING examples of how courage, strength, perseverance, determination and grit "look" and "feel" to the world.

We walk around with plastic prongs in our noses and sometimes
people look at us funny but, know what? WE are still standing. We are still moving. We are sending messages and helping our fellow man. We are strong. We are living out loud.

We make a difference in this world; perhaps, in some way, even
because of the COPD.

Overwhelming? Yes. Frustrating? Oh, yes. Sad? Yes, that too. Downright
depressing, maddening and angering too. But, my dear friend, you are so valuable to this Universe, to the people here and around you. Don't ever forget your worth and contributions. It all matters. YOU matter. You make a difference, even though you may not always see it or feel it. Believe me. It is truth or you would not be here asking "why?" right now. Spirit would not have moved you to do so if you did not make a difference. Even now in sorrow, you are serving the Highest Good and searching for the way to make yourself stronger still.

You are in my prayers. I do hope something here has helped you in some way.
Sweetest blessings,
Kasey

(Authored by Kasey Hunter)