Lyme Disease Can Probably Be Fun: On Friendship

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

On Friendship

For many moons, I have tried to maintain friendships and my lifestyle all at once. The natural divergences of life over time (changing interests, location, family dynamics, etc.) have made it so difficult. But I have been desperate for companionship and have spent a thousand hours wondering how to be a friend.

I am not as responsive as I wish I could be. I have passively let friendships slip because I couldn't grip well enough. My mourning has been profound.

The important thing I've had to realize is that any relationship we have here also exists in the spiritual realm. I think of someone I love who was an excellent father until illness took hold of him and changed him in so many ways that he seemed completely altered and unable to function anymore. Yet the bonds he formed with his little children were sacred and still exist. Even if they were to grow bitter, and he resentful, those deep connections would still exist. I firmly believe this. Our relationships are defined in such temporary, earthly ways here...but if we zoom out to look at eternity, the best parts of our relationships still live and breathe.

If you are my friend or family member (ahem, ALL of you), and I have been inattentive, I. Am. Sorry. Will you please forgive me?

What we have once held between us still exists and is precious, even if I can't act on it right now. I still love you, even if I have a funny (or absent) way of showing it.

Don't be afraid to reach out. I'm a spaz, but I love getting your voicemails and love notes. I'll try to be better.

2 comments:

Stephanie DirksApril 15, 2016 at 3:31 PM
This post has stayed with me for many days. I feel as if you have put into words that I have had bouncing around in my brain. My son has cancer. We have been battling so hard for so long, it feels as if there are many things that have fallen away- friendship is a large one. I still cling to the knowledge that maybe I'll be able to come back to friends, entering the scene as if never having left. I hope that will happen one day. But like you say, they will be there through Eternity, should earthly matters change the dynamic right now. Thank you for putting into words that have burdened my heart for many months, going on years and years.
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"The Uses of Adversity"

Without the right perspective, adversity makes NO SENSE. It looks like God forgot us or doesn't care or doesn't even exist. In truth, adversity is a kind opportunity to come to know the mysteries of God. The Only Ones who can show these to us are the members of the Godhead: God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.

Ecclesiastical leaders, counselors, authors, friends, and others can try to enlighten us. But until one passes through the valley of the shadow of death and communes with The Divine, one cannot know the mysteries of the kingdom. Then the scriptures are opened in new ways to our understanding, and adversity can begin to make sense.

What are these mysteries?

"The mysteries of the kingdom are who we are, and who God is, and what our relationship to him is. Those are the mysteries of the kingdom. You can tell somebody in plain English, but they still don't know in their hearts who they really are" (The Uses of Adversity, by Carlfred Broderick, p. 24-25).

The mission of my blog is to help you remember who you are, maybe through my journey. After we are born, we become earth-bound and forget where we came from, the presence of God. Once you know who you are, that God loves you, and that what He has given for you is somehow for your highest good, you can find meaning in adversity, and maybe even learn to enjoy it!

How do you find out if God loves you? Open your heart and ask Him. He will tell you. Listen for Him in the quiet corners of your heart. Pay attention to your feelings. Eventually you'll see Him everywhere, providing the details in your life so you can grow the most. You'll see Him in the majesty of nature, in the "coincidences" (MIRACLES!) that fall together in your life. You'll hear Him in the words of scripture, an inspired friend, and in the still, small voice that comes to your mind and heart. You'll feel Him in thrills when you have joy.

He is here, all around us. And once you know He is there, you can explore Your relationship and rely on Him and thank Him for His wise purposes. He loves and trusts you enough to live with adversity. Thank Him and praise Him always.

Well hello there!

God has given me great, creative joy through writing ever since I read Harriet the Spy in the fourth grade. While I did not love this book, I was inspired to keep composition notebooks handy. I filled one after another with events, doodles, and budding insights, and have been an avid journal-keeper and writer ever since.

I know we all have problems, but writing helps me to shake off stress and share my burdens. I hope you have an outlet that is equally helpful! Thank you for being here.

In August 2014, I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, MTHFR gene mutations, and scleroderma (among other conditions). I don't know if this is the whole picture of what my body is working on overcoming, but I do know that ever since the summer of 2008, my health has steadily declined to the point of significant disability. It's a grand mystery, but one I am meant to learn from in this mortal sphere for my personal growth. While I gyrate through phases of the mourning process, I can honestly say I am truly grateful for ALL I endure because of how I am coming to know God and rely on Jesus' Atonement. What JOY!

Creating this blog seemed like the most symbiotic way to help myself AND keep you updated on my life. And actually, I feel like some of my insights might be relatable or helpful.

I am a wife, mother, dancer, and a registered nurse. (Though I do not work now, I think nursing has helped me be a smarter patient.) I am a recovering, perfectionistic high achiever. I love the Pollyanna's "glad game" and laughing. Sometimes the topics here are heavy, but I hope that the words here might help you play the glad game more often in your own life.

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (I'm "LDS" or "Mormon"). My faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is my rock and the core of who I am. To learn more about my beliefs, go to www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.