I saw the title of a book recently and while I don’t remember the exact title, it was something about finding or searching for serenity in an age of anxiety.  I liked the words and what the words made me think of.  Is that not something we are all doing:  looking for a little serenity, a little peace?  How would you describe a peaceful setting?  Would it be a quiet, sandy beach, with gentle waves meandering slowly across the shore?  Perhaps a verdant meadow with long grasses swaying in the breeze is more to your taste?  Each of us has a special private place in our mind.  It may not even be conscious.  It is a special place where we feel safe and at peace.  The trick is accessing that private oasis when we need to.  We do live in a stressful world. There is war, disease, fear.  We work hard and play hard. There never seems to be enough time in a 24 hour cycle to do everything we need to or want to. We complain and we get up each morning and try to do it all again. To ensure optimal health there are professionals who are advocating rest and relaxation. New ideas?  NO! Our mothers would caution us as children not to overdo it. Now we are so hung up in obtaining ‘things’ that we lose sight of what is important:  relationships.  We need to have a strong relationship with our family, our friends, and even ourselves. Even more so if you are dealing with something as life altering as a serious disease.

Let’s put things into perspective. Am I always happy? Not by a long shot. Do I always do what I should? Really, you have to ask? Of course not!  Do I sometimes have popcorn for dinner or ice cream for breakfast? Well, yes.  Occasionally I even skip my exercises even though I know for certain that they make me stronger.  Why?  Well for one thing I’m human with all the idiosyncrasies and frailties inherent in our genes.  For another I would never claim to be perfect.  I sometimes get angry and snap at people. I’m fallible.  I make mistakes that hopefully I can learn from.  So you see I am not so different from you, at least on one level.  I do have this itty, bitty incurable disease, but we all need a little spice in our lives.  It’s a challenge.  Really.