Thursday, October 13, 2011

A middle of the night Inspiration

Yes...my own personal hell. Right there in my bedroom. At 1:30 in the morning I was sitting in the chair in the corner of my room watching the rest of the house sleep away while I was...well...I was in my own personal nightmare. My entire body was buzzing and aching. My hands and head were throbbing and my neck hurt so bad it was screwing all my thought processes. So of course, I was also spiraling down my hole of depression as well. I was pushing myself to think of something positive. Anything to get my mind off what was going on with my body. It's amazing how hard it is to think of something positive when you're in that much pain. Although I have a lot of great things in my life the only thing I could bring to mind was the little walk I took with my little girl earlier in the evening. Once I got that thought I just kept trying to hold on to it.

I was sitting there covered in ice packs trying to stretch the pain away and willing my body to give me some peace. All at once the positive thought went away and the panic began. That feeling where you don't think you're going to be able to take much more, that moment right before the tatoo artist lifts his gun, that moment when you feel a loss so severe that you would rather die than live without them, that moment when you realize there's someone following you down that dark alley. Pure panic. That's the moment I prayed. It's all I could do. "Please Lord, please just take away some of it. I'm about to lose my grip on sanity. Please, just some of it."

And He did. I've begged many times before. Trust me, I've been on my hands and knees begging God to take this away from me many many times but its never happened. But for some reason He saw fit to help me last night. As soon as I finished my prayer the extreme pain in my neck lessened. Of course it wasn't taken away but just having that small relief was enough to get rid of the panic and allow me to fall asleep. Although everything else still hurt a wash of warmth and peace drifted over me and I just let go and finally slept. As exhausted as I am this morning as I was up well past 2, I am also feeling very thankful today. He heard me. He heard me and He without a doubt brought me some peace. Even if it was just long enough for me to find rest.

Now, I am not much of a church goer. In fact, as much as I believe and pray, I personally don't have much use for church. Mostly because of my views on religion in general. But I know God. I know He's blessed me in my life. And I know He sent me a reminder of His presence last night. Sometimes I feel lost and abandoned, but last night God showed me I was His, and although He isn't going to heal me, for His own reasons, He wanted me to know I wasn't alone in that prison. He was with me. And He had my back.

I know its hard for people that don't have my problems to understand how hard it can be but I had to share my story. Hope is one of the only things that keeps me going and at times I lose that hope, but its with me now and I hope that by me writing this someone else will find the hope that they've lost.

For my friends that live in the same chronic pain, I want you to remember that we are not weak. We were given this life because someone felt we were strong enough to handle it. We are warriors. We may not fight with guns or swords but we are warriors none the less. Much of our lives have been taken from us but we can keep fighting for the life that we have left. The bad times may be a lot and very bad but the good times are also better for us. Cherish the good times and fight for them. Their all we have. Gentle hugs. Missy Sue

Monday, October 3, 2011

Coming together

I'm not really feeling philosophical today but I have some thoughts about this weekend I want to share.

I have spent many weekends with friends in my life. Great, wonderful, and loving friends. This weekend was like that only....more somehow. Through my husbands love for Jeeps we have joined a jeep club and have gotten to know them all over the last several months. We've had bbq's, party's, weekends at the lake, and just relaxing hang out time. We have met some really great people but until this weekend I don't think I realized how great.

We have always found great friends in our lives to spend time with and connect with but in the past when it has come to us needing help of some kind or having a birthday party for one of us there has only been a select 1 or 2 that we could really count on. My birthdays have always pretty much sucked party wise cause its so close to New Years. My biggest party that my husband threw for me when I turned 21....2 people showed up. 2. It's also been the same when we need help with anything big. 1 or 2 showed. Regardless of how many times we've shown up to help the others. 

This weekend on the other hand was amazing. We had a great turnout of people that came together to help us get our lift on our Jeep. Even those who couldn't make it were available to answer questions and root us on. Those who could stayed all day long not leaving till midnight to help make sure the job got done. These guys really came through for us as they seem to do whenever anyone in the club needs help with anything. And when Alex was still working his tail off Sunday to finish everything by himself, one of the guys that had been here all day the day before showed up and helped Alex finish it all.

To some with large families or large groups of friends this may be normal but for us it was a real blessing. We have never had such a large group of people come together for us before like this and I am so greatful to not only have them but to have been a part of such an awesome project. 

I in no way discount our other friends here or in Ohio and around the country because we love you all and have depended on you plenty. This weekend was just amazing to me though. As each Jeeper pulled up to my house my heart filled more and more with thanks and joy knowing that these people were here to help us. Us. The time that I have spent with them all the last few months has brought so much joy to my life. 


I have felt loneliness often in my life even in a room filled with friends and family but not with them. When I spend time with them I feel like my chronic pain doesn't matter, my constant fight with depression doesn't matter, my quirkiness doesn't matter, my past mistakes don't matter, none of it matters. I am not judged or ridiculed, left out or looked down on. I am just a part of the crew and I'm welcomed there. I'm even wanted there. To some this may be silly cause they don't have my same issues but to me this is an awesome feeling and I will not take it for granted.


It is not the quantity of friends you have but the quality is a phrase I usually live by but this weekend and since our first meeting with the Legion at Jeep Beach in Daytona it seems we have had both. Our Jeep family has shown me that it is possible to have friends you can not only connect with and have fun with but you can also count on to be there whenever you need them and not just when its convenient for them. Sometimes truth can be shown to you in just the simple lifting of a Jeep. Truth is everywhere people, so keep your eyes open. You just might learn something that you can treasure for the rest of your life.



Dark Poem

This is a somewhat dark poem I wrote a couple weeks ago. I try to be positive about life but there are times when you just have to let the darkness out of you. I was in a low place with my pain the day I wrote this. If your looking for something to help you feel good this is not the post to read but honestly I have not been able to write poems of a positive nature in a very long time.


My stomach turns inside out
The depths of despair diminishing my soul
The utter hopelessness dragging me to the breaking point
While the only life left within me is sucked into the abyss

Fighting the battle to yet survive
I continue
Clawing my way through each passing hour
Each passing day
Blindly reaching for a surface that never seems to break

I put my hand out to the constant pain that holds me prisoner
I beg for its mercy and ask it to release its hold
Only to find it's grip tighter
Holding even stronger

It snarls at me and asserts itself
Reminding me I am its eternal slave
I am no longer free
I am trapped

My stomach turns inside out
The depths of despair diminish my soul
The hopelessness drags me to the breaking point
And the only life left in me is sucked into the abyss
I am no more