Find your voice

When I was unemployed I began to attract other unemployed people. I would walk into a party and people would pull me to the side and say how they loved my blog and how it helped them too. I felt so encouraged to keep on going, and was truly upset when I actually gained employments at losing my blog and not being able to help people I may never even meet. So when the suggestion of a new blog began it was hard to handle. What if it flat out sucked?!

Then best part of my unemployment blog was how no matter how traumatic or sad the situation, I always tried to have a positive outlook because I knew that my day would come, and lucky for me it did. I tried to always have a joke, or some helpful hug stuffed in there so everyone knew I was okay, but most of all, they would be okay too. I am finding that was a lot easier with being unemployed.

Again the emails and support have been rolling in for me, which inspires me to write this blog even though it hurts to keep my arms up this high today. I am inspired by an old friend who is willing to tell me about her struggles with arthritis too, reminding me that even if she might not always be able to brush her hair herself, she was still off to work. I’m inspired by a friend of mine who suffers from endometriosis and you would never know her pain because she is so strong on the outside. I am inspired by the warm wishes of family and old friends, but more I am inspired by my amazing husband who never told me I wasn’t feeling my pain and was proud of me for going to doctors until I finally found one who believed there was something wrong with me and did more than a blood test.

I’m not going to lie, it’s embarrassing as all heck to feel like you are nothing but complaining. Shouldn’t we be stronger? Shouldn’t we just have a brave face and go to work and take care of ourselves and our homes  and never let anyone know the pain we have, let it be physically or emotionally…NO! You should be able to tell people you are in pain and not be the butt of a joke. You should be able to sit there and not clean up after dinner because you are too tired. You should be able to cry because it hurts so bad or you are so scared, you  can have moments of weakness and not be a weak person.

Consider this a support group. Consider this a PSA of sorts. Consider this your voice if you don’t feel like you have one. Consider this your push, the push to say something to someone about how you feel. The push to tell someone, “it’s okay if you ever want to talk,” even if they say no, they now know that someone actually wants to hear what they have to say. Just know you are not alone, no one ever is, even if it feels like no one could ever understand…they don’t have to, they just have to care.