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#HAWMC: Day 02, "Key to Happiness"

CHALLENGE: Key to Happiness. Is it being able to overcome a hard time? Laughter? Maintaining a positive attitude? Tell us what you think and why. #HAWMC

happiness

[hap-ee-nis]
1. the quality or state of being happy.
2. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

misery

[miz-uh-ree]
1. wretchedness of condition or circumstances.
2. distress or suffering caused by need, privation, or poverty.
3. great mental or emotional stress; extreme unhappiness.
4. a cause or source of distress.
5. Older use.
   a. a pain:
   "a misery in my left side."
   b. a rheumatism
   c. Often, miseries. a case or period of despondency or gloom.

When you have a chronic illness, it is quite easy to fall into a state of misery. And for good reason. Obviously when you have a disease like Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's Disease, your body and emotions experience great distress. Not to mention the mental and spiritual stress.

The hard part, in my humble opinion, is not the suffering one must endure. No, for me, the hardest part is finding true happiness and focusing on the positive things in life while I'm drowning in my sea of misery called Ulcerative Colitis.

Here are some things that I have discovered in my own personal life that have helped me... what I suppose I could call the "Key(s) to Happiness."
1) Laughter
My husband has been slowly teaching me the importance of laughter. When you have a chronic illness, sometimes it's all you can do not to have a breakdown... smile?
"Right... sure...  I will do that while I puke and poop my guts out at the same time for the 15th time in one night!"
It is not easy to see joy and laughter in our situations, but I'm living proof that it can be done. I can't tell you how often I've ruined my husband's good mood because of my bitter negativity. It was slowly destroying not only our marriage, but my own sanity. Take a minute and stop to think about things that make you happy. Do you have children or pets? They can do some pretty silly things sometimes and make for some great free entertainment. Or how about that funny movie you love so much? That one you've seen a dozen times, but always fall out of your chair laughing. Laughing makes you feel good.

2) Support
This one, for me, works both ways. I love both having and giving support. It has been so nice to have my family support me. I have a loving husband who has been there through my darkest times. What's been even better is meeting so many amazing people online who share in my pain. They truly understand what it's like to have a doctor look at you and tell you he has no idea what to do with you. They understand when I tell them that I can't sleep because I'm too afraid I'll move and upset my gut. And they also understand moonface. On the same token, I can be there for them. Tell them that I know what they're going through. I've been there. It's so therapeutic for me when someone says, "Thank you so much for your blog... it really helped me."

3) Prayer
This one gets a little personal for me. I can't tell you how many countless hours I spent praying during some really difficult moments in my life. A big test I didn't study for. A really bad breakup. My disease. My prayer journal is my place where I can go and lay it all out. Get every bitter feeling, every tear, and every piece of my broken heart off my chest and experience relief... knowing that these bad things won't last forever. I will have periods of joy. These things are not in my hands, but they are in the Hands of someone who loves me more than life itself. Everything works out for my betterment.

Hang in there friends. Keep fighting. If you need an ear to listen, please contact me. I don't want you to ever feel alone in your suffering.

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