Sharing with others daily words, thoughts and meditations that bring myself hope and renewal during my own daily battles and frustrations with COPD/Asthma.  Sharing, because as we all know – without that horizon of hope, our daily renewal of faith and fight can dim in a hurry.

Take, read, meditate and hopefully find some of the same hope in your day as I have within mine…..

The Word – “Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.” (Dalai Lama)

The Thought – When battling a chronic problem like COPD/Asthma, unless you are on oxygen the appearance we present to others does not necessarily explode with any obvious recognition of ‘this person is really sick’.

This will happen when we may go out in public, where many if not most of us may have a handicapped sticker or tag which allows us to park closer, but get the looks as we may not outwardly appear to look as sick as many think somebody should when parking in those handicapped zones.

How quickly do the hands go up if I were to ask how many of those reading this posting have had others stare or make comments when we make use of handicapped parking while appearing on the outside as one in normal health?  I imagine most threw a hand up rather quickly.  When I am asked, I throw both hands up.

A favorite line I have when I get into a discussion about my outward appearance of doing just fine, is to ask the folks if they would like to walk with me for a short distance or work aside me for just a few minutes when I try and do anything much physical.  Not trying to be obnoxious, just being honest in wanting them to have the opportunity, to observe how quickly my breathing can change into a huffing/puffing masterpiece with oxygen levels dropping faster than a penny they threw in the fountain.

It is times like these when we must lean on the Great Spirits and the friendship they offer to help remind us that it is not our fault people are the way they are.

One of my all-time favorite reflections, one which I have shared with my kids and grandkids over and over, is the Indian Spirit line about “don’t judge until you can take time to walk in their shoes and discover the true path they may be walking”.  A line to hold true to for those times when others may tease, laugh or scold you for outwardly looking as if you are as healthy as can be while inside you may even be gasping for breath but just trying your best to look okay.

The more we are able, to remember that it is not us, but them, that have an emotional and spiritual problem that is keeping them from understanding our inward battles, the better our daily walk will be.  It is not our job to tell them about the Great Spirits and the four fundamentals of living being hope, faith, love and grace.  All of which may be needed by those with such arrogance and distain of others.

What is our job – it is to persevere and hold strong, knowing that each of us are individuals walking our own path of life and just as they may not understand us, we also may not understand them and why they treat others such as us with disabilities with such a large amount of arrogance.  As the Dalai Lama says, it makes a more significant impression when one is silent and moves on.

Let the Great Spirits give us guidance and strength to be that person that can look beyond others responses and walk strong despite our chronic illness or disability and show the arrogant ones the truth of hope, faith, love and grace.

The Meditation/Prayer – Oh Great Spirits, as we continue to wonder why we may have been given these battles of illness and/or disability, may we also know that we are never handed anything more than we can handle as long, as we have a spiritual friend as you.  We shall always thank you for all that you surround us with while traveling our path of life on this gift of earth, just as we continue to look for your thoughts and guidance on how to best walk strong despite our battles.  May our daily times sharing with you, Great Spirits, give us the strength to walk through the arrogance of others while representing an appearance of the strength that comes from leaning on the four fundamentals of happiness – those being hope, faith, love and grace.

And we all say Hallelujah, Amen.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer – reusable by written permission only)

(More ‘Living 4 Today’ writings can be found at either wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.)