Plot Twists

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“Life is queer with it’s twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns” ~Excerpt from Don’t Quit The 2nd trimester was everything that everyone said it would be. I felt like myself again and I truly enjoyed every minute … Continue reading →

My Health

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Week 19: Health

I am 3 weeks behind and need to play catch-up. Stand by!

crohns

I unknowingly took my health for granted for most of my life and I never considered the fact that it wouldn’t be there. In fact, I naively thought that I wouldn’t have any real health issues until I was retired, on social security, and could no longer cover up my grey hair with dye. Well once again, I was completely wrong about that.

I will never forget the Summer of 2009 when I started to just feel weird in my stomach. Something just wasn’t right. I wasn’t sure if it was dairy or if it was something else so I tried to change my diet and yet it still wasn’t working. I went to see a doctor who made me think I was crazy when he told me to take up yoga and see a therapist so I could manage my stress better. I knew something wasn’t right, but yet I didn’t know how to get it fixed.

It wasn’t until over a year later and several misdiagnosis that I found out that I had Crohn’s Disease. I will never forget that call the day before Thanksgiving in 2010. I was so relieved to know that something was wrong and that I wasn’t crazy. I also knew that once the problem was identified that we could get to solving it. The following year, I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital and ended the year having surgery. The doctors said that I had a good chance of needing the surgery again within 5 years and well, it’s been 5 years and I am happy, healthy, and not on any medication. There are still good days and bad days, but the good days definitely outweigh the bad and make me more thankful for my health, my family, my friends, and most of all the power of prayer.

I often think back on that time as one of the worst periods in my life, but I am so thankful that I was able to see and learn so many things about myself and others that have stuck with me as I continue to grow and mature.

Explaining it all,
Charlitta

 

 

 

Spring Time!

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Week 15: Things You Like About Spring

spring

I had to take a break from the gratitude challenge last week, but I am very committed to seeing this challenge to the end so I am picking it back up at Week 15. I love this topic. It is simple and yet meaningful and timely as I think about finding reasons to be grateful in this season of life. Spring is my favorite season. The sun is out longer, people come out from winter hibernation, and summer beach trips start to be planned. There is so many fun things to look forward to during this time period including my wedding anniversary and birthday! It’s just a fun time of year.

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. It’s almost like another New Year. There’s a certain sense of hope that comes with the spring season. The flowers are blooming and birds are chirping. Everything starts to look brighter and feel more alive. Well that’s outdoors…indoors people are getting organized and doing deep cleans all over their homes. I just love the fresh clean smell of a nice deep cleaned house!

This spring I am going to focus on Ecclesiastes 3. It is an excellent spring time scripture as it reminds me that everything happens in due time and in the right season of your life.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Explaining it all,
Charlitta

Charlitta-X

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Week 13: A Challenge You Have Overcome

christ

When I think about the various challenges in my life it is hard to come up with the biggest because when you are going through the challenge it seems so huge and maybe even impossible. Even if you know other people who have gone through a similar challenge, you look around and wonder how you could ever make it through. I think the biggest and hardest challenge that I had to overcome was getting a divorce.  I don’t think the act of the divorce itself was the challenge, but it was really getting over myself. I had to get over what people thought about me (or what I thought they thought about me), my own insecurities or feelings of failure, and really “do the work” to not become bitter (work=therapy).

When I reflect back to 2008-2009 I realize that I was doing everything that I thought was supposed to when I accepted the proposal and moved forward with the wedding. I knew that it wasn’t right, but I wasn’t strong enough to call it off out of fear of what others would say or think of me. I convinced myself that relationships were hard and so I needed to try harder and all of the problems we faced were because of me. However, even through all of that convincing, it still didn’t feel right, but I kept on with the plan.

Once I got over myself and out of my own way, I realized that your close circle of family and friends just want you to be happy, healthy, and safe. They weren’t sitting around judging me and making me feel like a failure. They just wanted to love me through it and for that I am forever grateful. (Shame on me for ever thinking that would happen anyway).

I am grateful that I have family that prayed for me, a mother that called me every day to remind me that I was going to be just fine, friends that had a divorce party for me, and a manager at work that told me it was okay to take time off if I needed it. I can also NOW say I am grateful for that relationship because it taught me how to love and appreciate the amazing man that I am married to now. I think I would have continued to take our love and friendship for granted if I had not experienced the relationship with my ex.

It’s so hard to see the light, the lesson, or the love when you are in the midst of the challenge, but I am really proud of myself for having the strength to move out of my own way and to learn to trust my instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, then it’s not.

Explaining it all,
Charlitta