RA Sisters

I was in 4 th grade. I remember seeing a little boy after church. We were in the parish hall waiting in the breakfast line. He was wearing wranglers, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. I saw him standing there with his mom and grandparents. Then I remember being in 8 th grade and telling my mom that I was going to marry him someday because I loved him. I bet she thought that was funny at the time… Those are the first memories I have of meeting my husband. Fast forward to now, we have been married 12 years and together 22 years. We have 3 beautiful children and we are so grateful to have our little family. I truly know in my heart, that God made us for each other. It hasn’t always been easy, but there is no one else that I would ever want to share my life with.  When we got married, I had no idea that I would have the issues that I do. We both seemed so healthy. I had only started to have some debilitating symptoms in graduate school. The migraines that developed were inte

In general, we are raised to believe that we must always keep it together. Keep things that are unpleasant to ourselves. Try not to complain... Just suck it up!  It is rare for someone to actually tell you the truth, when asked how they are doing. I mean, what is the standard answer? "I'm fine. I'm good." We have all heard it, and we have all said it. What would happen if we really said what we were feeling or going through? Would it scare people? Would they not want to be friends anymore? What if it actually made us feel better? I believe that God made us to be compassionate and caring creatures. Most human beings are born with the "want" to nurture relationships. So why, do we deprive others of the opportunity to love, pray, and care for us?  I have to communicate my feelings constantly in order to maintain a healthy mental state. I tend to be short tempered when I am in pain. When I hurt, it causes stress on the whole family because I

Through suffering we find true love... This picture was taken about two years ago. I was in a terrible flare and my Grandmother, "Doe" was suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. As a child when I was hurt or didn't feel well, I would crawl up in her lap and she would pat my back and sing to me. I remember just breathing her in and almost feeling as if we were one in spirit somehow. No matter what I was going through, she always made it seem okay. She was always on my side and I knew she loved me with a love so fierce, that she would do everything and anything to make sure I was safe and taken care of.  For those of you who watch Grey's Anatomy, she was "my person".  My world was shaken when she passed away last year on September 21st. This picture popped up in my newsfeed today and it made me reflect on the true meaning of suffering and it's purpose in this life. No one likes to suffer, and no one wants to see anyone they love suffer, but if we