Lots of change for 2011. I've never been good at change but I believe I'm getting better at accepting it and expecting it! Anyway, we've had a job change. My husband was a minority owner in a party plan company called Uppercase Living. It has been struggling for a few years and so he and my brother just bought out the other owners and are running it. It has been a huge change of pace for our family but many blessings are following. One unexpected perk was a recent trip to San Antonio for a leadership conference. I was able to go meet with the top leaders of our company and hear their stories. As I interacted with these women for a few days I made a new discovery about myself. I have become a good listener and I care, REALLY CARE, about what others are going through. I don't think I understood empathy before rheumatoid arthritis. I now know through my own RA what real pain, frustration, depression and hopelessness feels like and I care when others are experiencing similar feelings. Another discovery that I made is that every single person has their own "RA" in life. Even the most happy, perfectly put together person has something causing them pain physically, mentally or emotionally. If you take long enough to listen, really listen to someone, you will find that what that person is dealing with effects them in ways just as painful as our RA effects us. It is easy for us to judge and say that nobody will ever know what it feels like to have RA. I have outwardly looked at many peoples lives and wished for their problems instead of mine. However, I am realizing that RA is MY test in life. It has somehow been personally assigned and designed to teach me as no other disability, abuse, sickness, or trial can. It is part of my life and it is shaping me as a person. I have never had anything positive to say about RA. Thus, it was very refreshing to realize that maybe something good has come out of this disease and I am not letting it win.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A New Discovery
Lots of change for 2011. I've never been good at change but I believe I'm getting better at accepting it and expecting it! Anyway, we've had a job change. My husband was a minority owner in a party plan company called Uppercase Living. It has been struggling for a few years and so he and my brother just bought out the other owners and are running it. It has been a huge change of pace for our family but many blessings are following. One unexpected perk was a recent trip to San Antonio for a leadership conference. I was able to go meet with the top leaders of our company and hear their stories. As I interacted with these women for a few days I made a new discovery about myself. I have become a good listener and I care, REALLY CARE, about what others are going through. I don't think I understood empathy before rheumatoid arthritis. I now know through my own RA what real pain, frustration, depression and hopelessness feels like and I care when others are experiencing similar feelings. Another discovery that I made is that every single person has their own "RA" in life. Even the most happy, perfectly put together person has something causing them pain physically, mentally or emotionally. If you take long enough to listen, really listen to someone, you will find that what that person is dealing with effects them in ways just as painful as our RA effects us. It is easy for us to judge and say that nobody will ever know what it feels like to have RA. I have outwardly looked at many peoples lives and wished for their problems instead of mine. However, I am realizing that RA is MY test in life. It has somehow been personally assigned and designed to teach me as no other disability, abuse, sickness, or trial can. It is part of my life and it is shaping me as a person. I have never had anything positive to say about RA. Thus, it was very refreshing to realize that maybe something good has come out of this disease and I am not letting it win.
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Kelli,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. My body failing me has really raised my level of empathy for others suffering their own "RA" as well.
You were in my city, girl! I would have loved to have met up with you! Hope you had a nice stay while you were here.
Praying that the career change brings incredible blessings to your family.
This is a great post--and thank you for adding me to your blog list! I'm familiar with your husband's company--I have a friend who sells Upper Case Living, and I've flipped through her catalogs. Beautiful products!
ReplyDeleteGlad you could think of something positive about RA-- I've made some lists before. It's brought some friends closer, slowed me down to smell the roses. Maybe those are the things I should be thinking about today. Empathy is a good one--too few people really possess it.