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“Differing but in degree, of kind the same.”

JOHN MILTON

Every so often a sense of “uniqueness” comes over me. Recently, for example, in the waiting room of an orthopedic surgeon’s office, I felt profoundly different and totally alienated from the other patients who were waiting.

I remember thinking: None of them has the health history and combination of symptoms that I have. Not one of them can possibly understand the kind of life I lead, the problems I have, the difficulties I go through every day.

Not surprisingly, the longer I dwelled on my “uniqueness” the more desperate and disconnected I felt. I had to pull myself back to reality and take the power from those self-destructive thoughts. I did so by looking once more around the waiting room, carefully this time, focusing not on the differences I imagined, but on the similarities.

How can I say that my pain is more severe than anyone else’s? How can I insist that my illnesses are more baffling, my symptoms more misunderstood, or my anger and frustration more intense? Why not, instead, concentrate on how much alike we all are, and as the result, benefit from wisdom shared, love exchanged, and hope renewed.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Focus on the similarities, not the differences.