Out with 2022 and into 2023

So, 2022 was full of discomfort and disappoints for me personally. It was a year of hard growth and lessons learned. It seemed to blend into the years before and be one continuous bad dream of health issues, personal issues, and world issues that affected me more than I would have liked. Overall, the word that best describes 2022 is just sad. It was a sad year that seemed to last forever and go on and on with no end in sight. Thankfully it has finally ended and it seems to have actually ended on a positive note. I was not sure that much positive would come out of such a hard year but it seems that it has. 

The end of the year was particularly hard for me personally. I have suffered with autoimmune diseases for all of my life but this year they all seemed to want to flare up at one time and wreak havoc on my body, mind, and soul. I will be honest, there were times when I did not think that I was going to make from day to day and that I would definitely not make it to see the end of another year. I am so thankful that I have made it to see another year and that I have doctors who care and are willing to go out and figure out things to help me deal with all that I am experiencing. Living with autoimmune diseases, especially those that are “invisible” to the naked eyes of others is a very harsh reality to live in and one that creates depressive states that are hard to get out of and deal with daily. 

I have been amazed at just how much these diseases affected my entire being.  I have always known that they would affect my body, but it has been an eye opener just how much they played on my spirit and how down it made me. I have always been the type of person that I will put on a brave face and not let people know just how much I am in pain or just what it is exactly I am dealing with because I don’t see the point in complaining and bringing others down. I have realized this year though that that might not be the best way to approach my life. I have seen that if I share what I am experiencing I can help others who are dealing with similar things and I can get the prayers, thoughts, and love that I am needing to continue to function. 

It is amazing just how much we need others to help us deal with what life brings. I am so thankful that I have found groups online where people are dealing with exact issues that I am facing and we can create a community where we share things that work, things that don’t work, places and resources the get help with whatever it is we are dealing with. I know a lot is said about para-social relationships in today’s age and time but I am truly blessed that I have these relationships even if I never meet the people in the “real world.” Along with these people I have realized just how blessed I am to have the family that I have. There is no way I could be going through what I am dealing with without the support of them. We are a small family, just the four of us now but I am so thankful for each of them. They each help me in a different way and support me unconditionally and that is something that I have learned is a rarity in today’s age. I am not sure why it is so rare these days, but the stories I hear and read are heartbreaking and it makes me that much more grateful for what I have. 

I am finally on the mend it seems and for that I am so thankful and blessed. I have had surgery to help with one major autoimmune issue and I have started new medications to help with several others. I am looking forward to continuing healing and getting stronger each day. There is such a long way to go but I am headed in the right direction now. The previous year was full of unknowns, scary issues, and just overall saddening days but I see a light at the end of the dark tunnel finally and I am just so thankful. 

Each year I don’t make resolutions but I pick a word that resonates with me for the upcoming year and that I want to concentrate on and bring into existence. This year the word for me is unique. It is an odd word to pick but I feel like it describes just how I want the new year to go. I want the year to be tailored to me, to be a unique experience. I will talk more about this later as the days go on, but for now this is my word and I am looking forward to what the new year is going to bring, the healing that is going to continue to take place, the bond that is going to continue to grow within the family, and the thankfulness that is going to being in existence. I am blessed, thankful, and I am going to be sharing more of my journey through this life as the year progresses. So here it to a new year, a new beginning, and a healing journey.