Before, During and After Illness

For those of you who have been, or are ill, I’m sure you will completely agree and understand. For those of you who never have been, I’d like you to understand.

There are basically three different reactions a person has when it comes to illness.

The first is the  “I hope I never…” reaction. This comes from a person who has never been seriously ill and has never had someone close, like a child, be ill either. They listen to people who are ill tell their story and say “I’m so sorry…” And in their head say “I hope I never….”

The second is the “Wow! You are so amazing. I’m so amazed. You are so strong…” reaction when you meet someone who has overcome a serious illness. As a cancer survivor I hear that a lot. Others tend to praise these people, over the top, and look at these people almost like hero’s.

And then there’s the third. It’s the “I’m so sorry for you…” reaction. It’s the reaction you give when you hear about someone being ill now. It’s the pity I hear almost daily having the brain tumor I have. It’s the pity and sadness you feel for someone and wish you could heal them as they are going through something so terrible.

For those who are ill but have found there hero within, they don’t need your pity, they need your normal. For those who are ill but haven’t quite found there hero within, they don’t need your pity, they need encouragement to find it. I for one, as someone who is sick, I don’t need your pity. I am strong. I have my Hero Within. I like encouragement and simply want to help others:)