Lessons from having Multiple Sclerosis

Three years ago today, I began to lose the sight in my right eye. The next month, I found out that I had early Multiple Sclerosis. What some might see as a curse, I see having MS as a blessing. Yes, some days are really rough but they are few and far between. Yes, our world was turned upside down, but sometimes we need a good shake of our little snow globe world to get us on a different path (and boy, we are on a different path!). But, I believe this disease has helped mold and shape me into the person I am today.
Here are just a few things that I'm learning from having MS...

• Whether it's while lying in a hospital bed with a friend on speaker phone, alone at home, or with a group surrounding you at church, prayer is a beautiful thing.
• It's alright to ask for help.
• No matter how hard I try, I can't fix things on my own.
• Each time I have a flare-up, there's always this thought that I might never be the same again. Being overly optimistic has never been a bad thing during those thoughts. 
• I've learned to be thankful for each day.
• It's alright to do things differently.
• Stress is dangerous.
• A loving and supportive husband is a treasure from God.
• I've learned to slow down and to savor every moment.
• I severely underestimated the power of this disease. 
• It's important to surround yourself with positivity.
• Sometimes one question can change your life.
• Family and friends will always be there to surround you with love when you need it most.
• Medicine can be helpful.   
• Rest is essential. 
• Fear accomplishes nothing.
• Friends will deliver amazing, nourishing food to your home no matter how weird you eat. 
• I've learned to seek God in everything. It could be in a simple green butterfly that's just outside my door or the two quarters a stranger gave me at the store so my kids could ride a little carousel. If I seek, I find.

So this life with MS is a blessing. During good times and bad. Every single day.