Читать книгу Above and Beyond - J.S. Dorian - Страница 38

“The spirit is the true self, not that physical figure that can be pointed out by your finger.”

CICERO

It has been said that illness redefines us. Indeed, I do get the feeling at times that my illness has taken me over; that I have become the illness and it has become me. It’s hard not to actually believe that I am no longer myself.

Even though such feelings are occasionally strong and persistent, it’s important for me to remember that they most certainly do not reflect reality. To the contrary, no matter how sick I am, and no matter whether my health improves or declines, I am always myself. My body may change, but my personality, soul, and spiritual core remain as before.

This is not to say that illness hasn’t affected my life. It has altered my routines and activities, my relationships, and, of course, the way I feel and think. But deep inside, I am still me.

When I sometimes become demoralized and forget who I am, and what it feels like to be healthy—when I feel that I am again slipping away—I remind myself of an unchanging and comforting reality: In the eyes of my friends and loved ones, and especially in the eyes of God, I remain the same.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I am not my illness.