Here in Los Angeles, we don’t have seasons the same way other parts of the country have seasons. But when I asked my ten-year-old son to name his favorite season, he told me it was spring. When I asked him why, he said, “Because it’s my birthday. And because it’s the best weather. Not too anything.”
I knew what he meant. Generally, spring is the “not-too-hot and not-too-cold” season. And my son’s birthday (which is the same day as my mom’s birthday) lands in the spring.
This year, though, was different. This year, my son turned 10! And while his birthday was a great spring day, there were plenty of dreary winter-like thoughts invading my mind. It prompted me to write “When Dismay About My Illness Keeps Me Stuck in a ‘Winter-Like’ Mindset” which you can read on The Mighty by clicking here. (And please don’t forget to share it on social media).
WendyKennar.com 
I thought of Robert Heinlein’s ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ as I read this. How disorienting, frightening and frustrating it must be to live inside a body that betrays one’s reasonable expectations — and may do worse still in the future. I wonder if those I see as healthy and whole may not be carrying burdens beyond my comprehension because empathy is simply not possible. Thank you for your courage to share these stories.
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Thank you, John! I do think that since becoming ill, I tend to look at others with more patience and want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure most people are walking around with some sort of invisible scar and/or hurt.
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Wow! I opened the link and read your “Winter-like Mindset” essay. Poignant and raw. An honest insight into your invisible disability. Your words are a gift, and perhaps even a comfort, to anyone who suffers this or any other chronic disease. Bravo my friend!
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Thank you, Diane! I know how alone I usually feel when it comes to my chronic illness and how comforted I feel when I come across something that shows me that someone else gets it! I hope my words can do that for others.
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