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I am grateful for The Forum.
 
Mike, such a wonderful post. You are such an inspiration. Take care friend! Oh, and thanks for sharing.

Irma
 
Just What I Needed!

I have had the worst last couple of weeks, I am ragged and worn. I do know that I love my husband more than anything, I thought that I could do all of this.
I guess what I am trying to say is that you seem to post just when I need it, I myself am a very spiritual person and have found myself questioning even my own selfworth, and right when I need it somehow you seem to come up with either a painting or some genuine words of wisdom. If you only knew the kind of day I was having and read this post. Thanks for putting things in perspective. Sometimes I wonder if you are a guardian angel, I can not type anymore as I am tearing to much, But thanks Mike................You truly are an inspiration!
Your Friend,
Annette Everett
 
Hi Annette,

You are quite welcome. I am glad I am helpful in this difficult time in your and Freddie's life. Hang in there. It only gets better from here. I know you have what it takes. :wink:

Mike
 
wow

that was a great expression of you and ALS, I read it to Gary who has had ALS for 10 years also, it was so touching. THANK_YOU
 
This thread has inspired me to start and end every day by taking a few minutes to think about what I am grateful for. Thanks for starting it, Mike!
 
Cindy

There is a book called The Secret, most people are familiar with, there is a journal that complements the book, it is along those lines where you daily write down what you are thankful for. I looked at the journal, it is structured and prompts you to think of things, but did not buy it, but instead, purchased a blank journal to write what I am thankful for daily. Sort of a diary of what is good in your life...even with this awful disease that my husband Brian has, we have so much to be thankful for, most importantly, each other. Just wanted to share....:smile:
 
Insights which i m greatful

hi,

Beautifully written!
You are quite welcome. I am glad I am helpful in this difficult time in your and Freddie's life. Hang in there. It only gets better from here. I know you have what it takes.

Thanks for being such a great example to others. May God continue to bless you is my prayer.

MAY YOU HAVE AS GOOD A DAY AS POSSIBLE.
NEVER GIVE UP. KEEP HOPE ALIVE.
GOD BLESS


tnkx
 
I am grateful for many things.. the good life I had up to the point where I started getting sick (I'm not diagnosed'ed but I'm in very bad shape, I just posted a thread about that yesterday if you're interested).
I'm also grateful for my great family (well, my parents and brothers.. never started a family of my own).
And I'm also very grateful that this condition, whatever it is, is not affecting my mind.

There is one thing I've noticed here and on other ALS boards.. there is a lot of focus on God and religion. I don't have a problem with this at all, and I understand why people who believe in this would bring it up often in this difficult situation.
However, personally, I'm convinced there's nothing to any of these religious and/or spiritual claims.
Because of this, I sometimes feel like I'm in a different place than religious people with the same condition - they take comfort in their belief that there is someone helping them and that they will go to some afterlife.. both of which I believe are false.
This means then, that I think this life is all I have and when I die, that's it. So as you can probably understand, this makes it a completely different situation for me.
So I can't help but feel a little excluded and I can't take comfort in posts saying how God will help, etc.
 
Some people lean towards religion as a way of coping. Others don't. We allow both types here. I'm not feeling included or excluded. To each his own. We have a choice. Read or don't read. It's not about the Religion. It's about the disease and feelings surrounding it. This site deals more with people and emotions with some technical stuff thrown in for good measure. If you want a sterile site, try PLM or ALSTDI.

AL.
 
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I don't want a sterile site, just giving my feelings on these things and explaining why I feel the situation is very different for those of us who do not believe in anything supernatural.
I'd never ask people to stop doing that and I'm not sure why you decided to take it that way :confused:
 
So I can't help but feel a little excluded and I can't take comfort in posts saying how God will help, etc.

Even those of us without formal religions find comfort in the "experience, strength and hope" that PALS share with each other on these forums. We're all in this together. Hope takes many forms ... hope for improved treatment, hope for finding peace and acceptance within ourselves (with or without theology), hope for finding solutions to difficult symptoms and situations, hope for finding understanding of what we're going through. It's all about connections, and you are connected to all of us.

I think you will find more confort here than you may expect right now. :) And this is the perfect place to express your feelings! I'm glad you shared where you're at.

BethU
 
It's all about connections, and you are connected to all of us.

Nicely put, Beth. I like that! :-D
 
Thanks for the reply :)

I'd like to mention that English is not my first language and sometimes I word myself poorly. When I said I felt excluded, I did not mean I felt excluded from the community on this site, and I definitely don't mind *at all* that people are religious and take comfort in that.
My point was that.. well, for instance -
Reading so many posts that seem so positive, even when having such a horrible disease, surprised me and made me feel hopeful that maybe I (if I am diagnosed'ed with this) could manage to have a positive attitude like that.. something that had been totally alien for me up until reading these posts. I never thought anyone could stay positive under such circumstances.

However, when I then find out that the writer of the post is religious and believes that he or she is going to a much better place and only has to endure a few years of this.. then I understand where this optimism comes from. And it's a source I cannot tap as I don't believe in any of that. And that is a little depressing.. so it would be uplifting to hear if any non-believer manages to keep up a similar good attitude despite this horrible condition.
 
Not all of the optimism you see around here comes from strong religious beliefs. About the same number of consistent church-goers get or take care of someone with ALS as in the general population. It is not this disease, or the lack of it, that makes people grateful for friends, family and sunsets. Something else entirely (sometimes belief in a higher power, sometimes not) causes that attitude.
 
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