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Self-Care Tip #117 – Notice, you got diamonds out of stones! Be a friend to yourself.
Cindy replied to yesterday’s post (that had some discussion on functional mental illness,) “I understand Miranda’s feelings completely. Some days it’s all I can do not to down tools and scream ‘What about ME?’”
That is one of the lovelies that these illnesses bring to us. In our honest moments, we can, like Cindy did, perceive our own traits that resemble them. Perhaps, if we are lucky, that will lead to empathy, one of the great human experiences. To be able to put yourself in the hypothetical place of someone else. To imagine what they think and feel. “If I were in your shoes…” and so forth. If you’d like, read more on this at this post.
Illness is often considered a step in the dyeing process. Others see it as part of the living process. Of course, it is both. We are all on level ground when it comes to having been born, coming into life, and knowing we will equally die. Illness reminds us of our like-natured frailty and of course the opposite – resilience. Whether seeing our own illness or someone else’s, we have this privilege of being blessed this way.
My Dad used to tell me a story (author unknown) when I was little. It’s been a long time but I remember it this way.
Three travelers were walking when they heard a voice telling them to bend down, pick up pebbles and put them in their pockets. The voice told them further that in the morning they would be both happy and sad. The travelers did but not equally. Some pockets were more full than others. In the morning when they awoke, their stones had turned to diamonds. Whoever gathered many stones were happy even though all of them wished they picked up more stones. But whoever gathered few, well, they were not happy. They still had diamonds but the comparison soured them and they finished their journey full of “what if” thoughts and not thoughts about the obvious. They got diamonds out of stones!
We are all similar, with the opportunity to say thanks in seemingly off times, such as mental illness.
Question: What have your “stones” turned into? Please tell me your story.
Related Articles
- Mike Robbins: The Power of Empathy (huffingtonpost.com)
- Do Bullies Actually Lack Empathy? (psychologytoday.com)
I will pick up a stone today and think of those who are suffering. There but for the grace of God go I…
Have a good week, Doc.
I loved your comment Cindy. So lovely! Let us know if u like how it went.
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I loved the analogy about the stones!
Oh thanks Thysleroux! I never tell it as well as Dad did when I was tiny! I remember all sorts of mental images that went w his words.
Great story 🙂
Many thanks lovely u. Remember this story?
i can well belive there are people sufforing lets hope that those people seek the right support and speek up about it and get the help they need but might not want.
Hi Kevin! Thanks for commenting and reading.
…I know I need unwanted help in many things that I am struggling with. But I agree with you. We can’t go by what we feel or we’d be changing our minds quick and frequently! 🙂
I picked up huge stones – no job, no friends, no respect from my sisters,lots of time in the hospital, sheer terror, abject horror….
And when I woke up, there were more diamonds than stones – even though I was on medications and in therapy, not having a job allowed me to take full care of my new granddaughter for three years, to take classes at church, to paint a huge Disney-type mural at a school for special needs kids, to care for one of my closest relatives during the last few days of her life (and to be with her as she died), and, finally, to discover a new respect for myself after years of feeling no self worth at all!!
I’ve told my husband that a nervous breakdown was, in a lot of ways, a good thing. Diamonds from stones is a perfect way of explaining that thought! Thank you so much!!
You’re so welcome Nancy! I like where u took this story and used it to tell more of yours. And what a story! and I’d like to see that mural. I’m sorry u’ve been hurting for so long. Even though u say you’re coming out of it, all that suffering still matters because you do. Thank you for fighting so hard for the rest of us. You are important. Keep on.
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