Support Can Come From The Least Expected Places

As a person with Fibromyalgia, fitting into the world at large can be a bit difficult. Not enough energy, too much pain. Fatigue and exhaustion interrupting each attempt at lighthearted conversation. It is no wonder we are all so happy to have found each other! Finally, typeo's and misspellings are not judged, if it takes someone a day or two to get back to us, we understand. When we say LMA, a whole buncha folks intrinsically know what you mean. But sometimes a simple gesture of support from the least expected place can have a huge impact. I had that exact experience last night. See when you go on here or the website and purchase something I am sent an email. It is then up to me to respond and package and ship the item. So last night as I settled down into bed I saw I had a new email. It was for a purchase. Awareness bands from my cousin. Now my cousin, we will call her Jessica, and I did not grow up together. We have met more than a few dozen times and hung out plenty over the years, but came of age in different states, with divorced parents all around...let's just say life gets hectic. Funny that we both grew up to LOVE to write and found each other on Facebook.

She would pop up on the Fun House every now and then and I found out a few weeks back that Jessica has been reading this blog. I was quite surprised to learn this. See she does not have Fibro and I didn't think the blogs would be all that interesting if one did not have or was not touched by Fibromyalgia in some sort of intimate way. But as a true lover of the craft she thinks I am descriptive. And sadly enough chronic pain, among a myriad of other sicknesses, is something she has experienced first hand in a very close loved one. I was most certainly touched by her support. Unspoken, not bragged about, but nevertheless still very much there. Then last night she goes and orders awareness bands and darn near makes me cry a river I am so overwhelmed with her pure outreach, genuine interest in supporting what we have going on here! See I lovingly cart these bands around with me as a fixture in my purse. I hand out a lot of information cards but don't sell too many awareness bands that way, but that is not my purpose. I put one on the first day I ripped open that first order and have literally not taken it off since (tan lines beware). So needless to say people ask a lot of questions which means it is doing its job, serving its purpose.

But plenty of people don't ask, too. Strangely enough it is usually extended family members or acquaintance-ie friends. Certainly not all of them, for I have a generous form of support with those closest in my life, but more the peripheral ones. Probably the same ones that would not ask their mother if she was wearing a support band of any color. Or a tee shirt with a big flippin' purple ribbon emblazoned in the center. Kinda hard to ignore, but plenty will avoid direct eye contact, skirt the issue, not mention it so therefore it does not exist. See sick people, death, all those things are messy. And folks that have not dealt with them much in life tend to avoid them. Or say something stupid. Or offer abrasive words of condolence meant to comfort but really only serve to squash a person's necessary time to mourn. But not Jessica. She went far out of her way to lend me, her cousin, some support with a messy illness I have spilled intimate details about all over the internet. And in doing so she touched me deeply and reminded me that not everyone is against us. We may often feel like it, but keep your mind, heart and eyes open, for true love and support can sometimes come from the place you least expect it.

Thanks for joining,

Leah