A New Year.....

A fresh new year ~ a fresh start - hope.....that is what most of us look for each time a new year dawns.  At least I know that I do!  I realize it is just another day on a continuous calendar and nothing really changes but I like to believe that it does.
I love this graphic - the title is "Fish out of Water" and so describes the way that those of us who have invisible illnesses feel much of the time.  We feel out of sorts and out of place.  It is very hard to understand something you can't see and we all know this.  But....each and every year we all hope and have faith that one day these diseases will be better understood and most of all that we won't be labeled as lazy or crazy or worse.  One day a new year will dawn and people will say "How did they do it?"  "How did they go on knowing they were being ostracized for something that was out of their control?"

I know that I am very fortunate in that I still am able to enjoy life even with it's changes and new direction.  Many are not so lucky and spend each day, each week, each year, dealing with severe depression and isolation for reasons they cannot comprehend.  We all have to open our eyes and see that just because we may not understand and may not see the problem, that does not mean that it does not exist.  Doctors, care givers, family, and friends owe it to our loved ones with these types of conditions to listen, seek to understand and learn all that you can in order to be supportive.  It can be a matter of life and death!