Being Wounded Healers: Thankful Thoughts- Week 4

Healing has been on my mind this week. I’ve taken steps to make progress in my POTS treatment, but I’ve been reflecting mostly on emotional healing. Chronic illness wears down my soul, so I make an effort to build myself up as often as I can. Healing is a process, and it looks different for everyone. I have a big need for compassionate, grace-filled relationships because they are where I find the most healing. When I am isolated and alone, I find it much more difficult to face the difficulties that come with emotional healing.

This quote by Buddhist author Pema Chodron best explains the type of relationships I find most helpful in my healing process. These words ring true each time I read them.

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our darkness well can we be present in the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.

I am grateful for all kinds of things, but today I am most grateful for the compassionate people in my life who help me heal. You see, I don’t need to be judged or summed up by someone else. I don’t need unsolicited advice or anecdotal evidence about why I should change. I suspect that you don’t need those things either. In fact, I am confident that you need compassion from wounded healers just as much as I do. We all need someone to come alongside us, someone who is willing to listen and relate. 

My goal is to be a wounded healer– a person who acknowledges my own brokenness (past and present), who is willing to help other people along the way. For me, that means being a part of a community of women with chronic illness who are committed to encouraging one another. It means reaching out to people who are courageous enough to admit they need support as they face mental health issues. Most importantly, it means that I relate to the hurt and struggle of people around me. I try my best to respectfully help them in whatever way they need, and I don’t spend my time judging them. Being a wounded healer doesn’t mean that I don’t have boundaries, but it does mean that I focus more on kindness than I do on judgement.

So here’s a short list of the compassionate acts I’ve seen around me this week. They’ve encouraged me to keep working toward my own healing.

• Lottie Ryan’s festive style challenge brightened up my week. Dozens of chronically ill women from all over the globe took part in the 7 day event. We read uplifting posts that were related to each “style of the day”. The picture above is from first day, “Banish the Blues.” I wore my favorite blue earrings and a blue striped top. I also took time to be close to my cats in order to lift my mood. Throughout the week, I enjoyed feeling put-together even though I didn’t leave the house much. It boosted my confidence to wear “real clothes” every day.

• S and I see a lot of poverty in our community and we do our best to come alongside our neighbors. There is a lot of hardship here and change comes very slowly. This week, we got some much-needed good news! It was officially announced that grant money has been secured to demolish 140 structures in our town. After demolition, the property ownership will be transferred to non-profit community organizations. This process will make our town safer and even more beautiful! Plus, local non-profits will be able to take care of the properties and use them to help our community. S and I are excited about this, especially since one of the homes is less than a block away from us.

• Ashlie has reached out to me time and time again to walk with me through my healing process. She openly shares her experiences with dysautonomia in an effort to help me live a fuller, healthier life. She’s found a way to help other people with chronic illness, and I truly respect her for that. I received my Physician’s Kit and Wholesale membership last Saturday, and I am grateful for her willingness to share her journey with me. I have seen some great results by using my oils this week 🙂 Using the OnGuard essential oil has helped me fight off flu germs, which is a big deal for me these days!

I hope that we can all take time this week to consider how we can be wounded healers to the people in or lives.