Don't tell me

When I ask you how you're doing, don't tell me "Oh, we're OK. Just the usual stuff. It's nothing compared to what you are going through."

I ask you because I'm genuinely interested, not just making polite conversation. Well...ok...I'm kind of being polite. 

Also because I need to get out of my own head. There's a lot of shit running through my brain, and sometimes, I need a break from myself. So, hearing about your stuff helps me, even if only for a minute or two. 

It gives me the opportunity to think about something other than my breast cancer.

Or homeschooling a child on the spectrum. Or about his epilepsy. 

It gives me a chance to not worry about my husband's voice. 

Or about Isaac's neurotypical development. 

Just....As long as you don't tell me that I'm on a journey. Because, I'm not going anywhere. I haven't been anywhere.

Saying "...on a journey..." is not cute. It's trendy. Stop being trendy. It's not cute to say a person going through major health issues is on a journey. A journey is defined as "an act of traveling from one place to another." 

Aren't we all on a journey? Aren't we all on this planet together? Traveling through space? Honestly, when someone says "...on a journey..." to me, I can't help but think of that famous scene in Titanic when Leonardo DiCaprio is standing on the bow of the boat, holding his arms out, pretending to fly. "King of the world....!"

Remember what happened? That ship went DOWN! D-O-W-N! DOWN! DOWN! DOWN!!!!!

Journey my ass.......

OH! Wait! Right! A "spiritual journey"... where I'm supposed to discover who I am...and discover stuff about myself.

YES! I'm supposed to "become enlightened" which is "having or showing a rational, modern, and well-informed outlook."
 
Right. I know plenty about myself. I'm rational. I'm modern. And I'm pretty fucking well-informed about the diseases and disorders my family deals with on a daily basis, thank you very much. 

Enlightened: check.

I know I am strong. I know I'm a survivor. I know I have courage. I didn't need to go through having breast cancer to discover this shit. I've known it for years...decades........pretty much most of my life.

Because here's the deal: cancer, epilepsy, and autism suck.

They SUCK. 

We're not on a journey. Oh no! Not the Andersons!

We're on a Multifaceted Mission! A mission is defined as "any important task or duty that is assigned, allotted, or self-imposed." 

YES! I am on a mission to find a medication that works and completely stops my son's seizures. I am on a mission to recover from the Hell called Treatment my body went through in 2015. 

My husband is on a mission to loosen up his vocal cords. 

Isaac is on a mission to be a "normal" kid. And given that his "normal" is pretty intense...he's doing pretty darn good. 

Don't be on a passive journey. Be on a Multifaceted Zealous Mission! 

I'm not sitting back. I'm approaching this shit with some purpose! Some gusto!

Let's do this! Get out in front of it! Embrace it! Feel empowered! 

Set your intention.

Be bold.