ere is nothing leaving us rawer than an illness diagnosis. Often one of the greatest challenges is how not to identify only as a patient or an illness. I’ve watched many celebrities in recent months tell the world about their health challenge(s). Do you know what many have in common, they allow the illness to be part of their identity, while simultaneously showing the world their “whole selves”.
The celebrity who most prominently comes to mind is Selma Blair. When she told the world about her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, I’m sure many felt it was a downhill life from that point forward. We don’t know what transpired immediately following the diagnosis, but when she was ready to tell the world while tackling the world, she became a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.” Can you think of anything more inspirational than showing up with an illness impacting her motor system on a show where she needed to rehearse six hours a day, week after week?
How do we come to know the layers of who we are. We’re so often defined narrowly, so when we’re thrown a curveball, we’re often lost. How do you think your family and friends would describe you? Would they focus on your limp? Your fatigue? Your loss of appetite? Or would they still laugh at your jokes, love your open heart, and admire the courage for learning to incorporate the routines and challenges that come along with a health challenge?
Are you willing to make friends with the self? I’m not talking about the surface stuff like what you do/did for a living, but the real stuff. The stuff that draws people to you and wants to be around you not for what you can do for them, but who you are. Think about and get back to me!
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Pilgrim Pathway 
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