for MLMM’s Wordle — ooohhh cool words, no Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia allowed!
1. Air 2. Beam 3. Retrieve 4. Left 5. Vicissitudes– noun successive, alternating, or changing phases or conditions, as of life or fortune; ups and downs 6. Benignity– noun a good deed or favor; an instance of kindness 7. Touch 8. Men 9. Morning 10. Life 11. Smart 12. Glass
Scandal
The sun’s beams reflected off the glass window, filling the morning air with radiant warmth. Smart as she was, Sharaon could think of no way to retrieve her standing in the community. The cruel twist of fate that touched her life began as a simple benignity toward another lonely soul. Caught by the paparazzi, their pictures were splashed all over the front page of every scandal sheet in the province. The vicissitudes of the media had run their course but left her standing and her work destroyed. Betrayed by the hypocritical men who thought themselves her betters.
I’ve talked the last few weeks about the benefits and uses for aromatherapy and essential oils for Spoonies. Today I’m going to talk about other aspects of managing chronic disease and fatigue.
I’ve been in a nasty flare for over a month now. The fatigue can best be described as “soul crushing.” It is not an exaggeration when I say that it takes me half an hour to get out of bed. It’s also accompanied by pain. Every muscle, every joint, every minute of every day. I read an interesting little blurb in Psychology Today about chronic illness fatigue and how it changes you, you can read the full articlehere.
It’s not fair, nobody should have to live like this. Yes, I’m grateful for all my blessings, I’m thrilled to have my love at home and healthy (enough). But I’m also angry. Chronic illness fatigue can make anybody angry at the whole world, and envious of “other” people. That’s OK, it’s not fair, at all, and it’s OK to feel that.
That said, this is the hand I’ve been dealt and the question becomes, “How am I gonna play it?”
Lately I’ve dipped into depression, despondency, and just plain old whineyness. I can barely stand to be around myself. So I have decided to play my hand differently. There comes a time when you just have to “Cowgirl Up” stop complaining and just do it. Joints and muscles ache, take some ibuprophen and go on. Feeling lethargic? Drink another cup of coffee and get on with life (I have a startling tolerance for caffeine). Bored (we’re usually traveling this time of year), pick a hobby and get lost for awhile. Go wander around, kill monsters, and find treasure (computer games). Grocery trip left me so exhausted I can’t think of the word for it (oogie is all that comes to mind and I’m pretty sure it’s a real word), for Pete’s sake stop trying to impress the world with how well you manage and GO LAY DOWN for 20 minutes.
The point I’m trying to make with this mini rant is that life ain’t fair, chronic illness is seldom a “happily ever after” story, but there are lots of things I can do to improve my circumstances. Ways to fight back and live the best life I can. “Every year 2 million people die of dehydration. So it doesn’t matter if the glass is half full or half empty, there’s water in the cup. Drink it and stop complaining.” ~Rudy Francisco
True Stories – Rudy Francisco
What doesn’t kill you – Kelly Clarkson
Till next time ~Cowgirl Up and hang onto your spoons ~JPP
The skinny little wretch sat there on the barstool, mocking me.
“Oh the key to my dieting success? I just forget to eat sometimes.” She said it calmly while scarfing down an order of wings with blue cheese and one of those silly froo-froo cocktails with enough sugar to put someone like me into a coma.
I may have rolled my eyes just a little while she polished off the double order of grease and goo. I mean honestly, forget to eat? Really? Lady you gotta be some kind of stupid to forget to eat.
Now I’m in my 60’s, and I’ve forgotten a LOT of things. I’ve forgotten the budget report the day I was supposed to present it to the board of directors. I’ve forgotten my keys, forgotten where I parked my car (once when I was at home). I’ve forgotten my parents anniversary, I’ve forgotten my own anniversary. I’ve forgotten my children’s names, I’ve forgotten my purse, my phone, my bra (yeah let’s not dwell on that one). I’ve forgotten to unplug the iron, I’ve forgotten how the heck to open that stupid child-proof zip lock bag and had to get my grandson to help me. But never, ever, not once, have I forgotten to EAT.
“You don’t look bad honey, you should just get so busy you forget all about eating for awhile.”
I smiled my best Monalisa smile, snatched the last wing off the plate, chugged the last of my light beer and belched. “Sorry girlfriend, just won’t work.”
Cris over at Crimson’s Creative Challenge has provided us a fabulous image prompt and I seem to be on a bit of a raptor kick this week.
A Strange Pet
The guardian stood proud above the entrance to the sanctuary. It looked so real, every feather, talon and beak cast in perfection. Verdigris of age and winding ivy only serving to make the old monument more awe inspiring. Faelynn stood back gazing at the stone eagle ten times the size of a modern bird of prey. She began to wave her ironwood wand in an complex series of swoops and swirls while she chanted her counter spell.
With agonizing slowness color began to return to his feathers, as he stretched them out to their three meter span. Landing next to Faelynn, his head coming past her waist, he bowed gracefully.
Faelynn smiled, one dark spell undone. She turned to leave when the giant eagle nudged her with his enormous head. “Oh great,” she thought “what am I going to do with a giant bird?” Faelynn smiled at the possibilities.
Laura Bloomsbury is our host at dVerse Poetics this week. In this season of more, more, more, Laura asks us to pen a poem of less.
The suffix ‘less’ has both negative and positive connotations and even neutral ones. The challenge is to choose ONE or MORE from THE LIST of words BELOW and include it/them in the body and/or title of your poem. If possible, add a soupçon of hopefulness for Hope is the message in this first advent week!
