I remember watching a movie (don’t ask me which one, my fibro fogged brain can’t remember what I had for lunch) in which a man asked a woman to marry him saying, “Marry me and life will never be boring.”  Well, my life has never been boring.  In fact, it’s been quite an eventful adventure.

Even before I was married, my life wasn’t the usual.  Last week on my Art of Eloquence blog, I told my readers about how I lived in several states almost from birth.  Because of that, I’d gone to two elementary schools, two junior highs and two high schools.  I’m only 5′ tall and my head, hands and feet are children’s sized.  Also for the last several years, I’ve worn only purple.  I’m a bit of an oddity from way back!

I began my chronic illness journey probably when I was a teenager and it’s been a difficult road since then.  However, the past 18+ months have been exceptionally difficult beginning with The Year of Faith that Always Never Was.   Most stressful of all has been the last four months or so since my husband lost his job.  In that time, we’ve struggled to find him a job, to make a living working three businesses and to contend with my illnesses without benefit of health insurance.

So life certainly has been an adventure, but I’d like to get off the roller coaster now!  It’d be nice to experience a little boring once in a while.  The mundane can be so comforting.  After all, you know what to expect. You know where you’ll be living and that you can continue to purchase extravagancies such as FOOD!  LOL

Due to severe pain and fatigue, stress and overwhelm, my dd’s wedding, my son’s 16th birthday, and the fluctuating hormones of MENOPAUSE, my emotions have taken a turn and entered the flood zone.  Someone on Facebook asked last week what everyone did for stress relief that worked the best.  Some said a hobby or listening to music.  I thought about it.  I do take natural tranquilizers. They do calm me  at least somewhat. Listening to praise and worship music does soothe me.  Reading devotionals on hard times and reading the Bible does help.  Taking long, hot showers relieves the stress in my body, but I’d have to say that crying is the one thing that really relieves stress.  Unfortunately, I’ve had to engage in it several times a day…or should I say, it has taken me over several times a day.  I never thought about it as stress relief before, but I do feel so much less stressful after crying.  So much so that if I were an actress, I might want to cry on demand.  Sometimes I feel like crying but I don’t/can’t.  Anyone feel that way?  Or is it just weird me?

I can’t say there haven’t been ups as well as downs.  My dd got married a few weeks ago.  It was beautiful and so was she!  My son just turned 16 and he’s a treasure too.  We live in a very nice home and we’ve had some business success through all the frustrations and stress.  God has seen to it that, at least so far, we have had the money when we needed it.  Case in point: after not having health insurance for years, we got it just in time to pay for most of my gallbladder surgery.  Not too long after that, we lost it along with my dh’s job.  Our hills and valleys are sometimes quite manic.

Bottom line, life’s been an adventure these past 52 years, but I’d really like to get off the roller coaster now and find some normalcy.  It would be nice to have a day devoid of tears and fears.  I’m ready, Lord, if You’re willing.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” –Proverbs 3:5-6

How about you?