After battling a year’s worth of illness and nine rounds of Vancomycin antibiotics to rid the body of recurring C. difficile infections — the holiday season was more of a struggle than a joyous time of the year.

Without working and knowing what a paycheck looked like after a year how was I supposed to celebrate the holidays with family and friends?  The jewels of diamonds and rubies had been sold to pay for the extreme cost of antibiotics to treat this never ending infection, the IRA’s used to keep a roof over our heads, the 401K used to keep the car in the driveway, and the savings accounts emptied to cover co-pays and medical bills.

Life was not as it used to be with twinkle lights and big red bows.  It was looking more like “brown paper packages tied up with string,” (My favorite things Lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein).That too became a positive vs a negative as the value of life became elevated and not the values in life that we collect.  Realizing that family and friends also valued the little things like fresh baked cookies over gold trinkets purchased at the local jewelers, and the boxes of home-made ornaments I created hung elegantly on their walls and holiday traditions instead of the boxes of store bought items that I never really noticed them enjoying or using over time.   We put too much emphasis on the gifts during the holiday season instead of cherishing the times together.  Share time, create lasting memories, give love, cherish moments, embrace smiles, enjoy the hugs, and never miss the chance of taking a photo to freeze frame it all.

After being referred to Hospice and introduced to their organization it was an absolute wake up call.  It was a call to LIVE ~ a time to kick up the sand and give it all I could give because there was way too much more to do than lay down.  Don’t ever give up ~ don’t accept every deck you are dealt ~ seek other avenues and keep reaching for the stars.  Our thoughts are stronger than we think they are and our beliefs are the strong hold in life.  As the saying goes, “Begin each day with a grateful heart.”

The holiday season is right around the corner and so are you with your talents and strengths.  Keep the anxiety down to a dull roar and try not to fall into the depression of dwelling on the “have-nots” when you have SO much ~ so much to give of you ~ so much to share with others ~ so much to embrace.  YOU are special to SO many and focus on the true meaning of the holidays ~ it is not about the packages, twinkle lights and bows ~ it is about YOU and about what you are in the world ~  You are a gift to others.

Try to have an enjoyable holiday season — through the losses, through the struggles, through the treatments ~ we understand and walk beside you each day ❤  You are not alone  ❤

“None of us can do this alone ~ All of us can do this together”

December’s  support sessions are open for registration. Don’t delay

and register for a group today.  Registration is through the C Diff Foundation’s website

http://www.cdifffoundation.org