Sparkle and Strength

It is important to find strength, even in the darkest of times.

It is important to find the strength within yourself, no matter what the outside world tries to tell you, no matter what others may say about you. You are strong and independent. There is no one else like you in the world!

That is one of the messages of this blog. The reason why this blog's web address is Never Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle is because I want everyone to shine from within. Never let anyone keep you from living the life you want and desire. It is our natural, God-given right to live and to love life.

Sometimes you can forget that though. People will try to bring you down. You may even feel down about yourself. For me, I felt like I had lost my sparkle and my world when I became ill. I wasn't sure I could ever recover; I thought my world was destroyed forever. But even through the rubble, you can build yourself back up, slowly but surely.

During the Soviet Union takeover from Hitler's Germany, many Russians' homes were burned and destroyed because of the scorched-earth policy. After the liberation of Soviet Russia, the only remnants of their homes were their fireplaces. These village people now had absolutely nothing, but they took the fallen bricks found in the rubble and ashes of their town and began to re-stack them. They literally began re-creating their homes from the burned up brick and debris.

Be the phoenix that rises from the ashes. Be the fireplace that continues to stand tall through the fire storm. Rebuild yourself with the bricks thrown at you. Never let anyone dull your sparkle, your hope, or your faith. Belief is a powerful force; putting that belief into action is an unstoppable force.

By my bed in my room I have that quote, "Never Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle." I look at it every day to remind myself that every day is a struggle between good and evil, right and wrong. It is a reminder to fight for the good, fight for the joy, and to fight for the sparkle of life, which is the true beauty that makes life worth living.

That is my wish to you, sweet reader. Be a light, and light as many candles that you can every day. Smile at those who walk by you. Hold the door open for the person behind you. Laugh at a joke with a perfect stranger. You never know when you might just make a difference and spread your sparkle.

Until next time, shine bright!

 

*Today's Happy Thought: FLOWERS

          (Summer is here and the earth is spreading its joy with colorful petals everywhere!)

 

 



Note to Self: Listen to Your Body

Dear all,

I have recently heard some sad news and it made me want to write to you about it.

My mother's dear friend has recently passed away. It was sudden and shocking to everyone, but evidently the signs of her illness were there for months. What she had was preventable, but she decided to ignore the signs.

For almost a year she felt some pain in her stomach. She knew something wasn't right, she even made little side comments about it, but she ignored the signs. Maybe it is indigestion? Many people have GERD, so it's not a big deal, right? Wrong, but she just kept working and going about her daily life, putting others before herself.

One evening she started throwing up blood in the bathroom. Her son was there with her at home and he called an ambulance. When she got to the hospital it was too late. She had hemorrhaged and there was no fixing it. She had a bleeding ulcer that had become so serious that it had ruptured, causing such a large opening that it was beyond surgical repair.

It is such a tragedy. This woman was amazing, sweet, and compassionate. She was one of the kindest people I have ever met. The loss is very difficult for my mom.

I think this story resonated with me so much because it is so easy to think about others and the daily activities that consume your life, but often times you can forget the most important person running the show, YOU.

If my mother's friend had listened to the warning signs of her illness from the beginning she could have received prompt treatment right away and prevented the detrimental effects. But unfortunately she did not and the small, insignificant warning symptoms soon became major, intense symptoms of an extreme, irreversible problem.

When something feels wrong and it makes you take a step back and evaluate your body's health, you need to listen to that red flag and take action! Even if it seems like "no big deal" it can become one. So many people only decide to get help when the pain is nearly unbearable, and often that it when it can be too late.

This situation really makes me want to reach out to you and tell you something of great importance, IF YOU FEEL BAD GO TO THE DOCTOR. It doesn't matter about money, or whether or not you have the time to fit an appointment into your schedule, the fact of the matter is, in the grand scheme of things, without help it can be life or death.

Even though the millions of doctors I visited didn't believe I was sick, I knew in my heart that something was wrong. I am so glad that I stuck with my gut feeling until I finally found a doctor who listened to me and took action. Never give up on getting yourself well - it's a lifelong fight.

Remember to always think of yourself and your body. It might not always be so easy to put yourself first, but if you don't then who will?

May health follow you and may you keep a conscientious head on your shoulders,

*Today's Happy Thought: LETTERS (There is just nothing better than receiving a hand-written note via snail mail.)