On Coming to Terms with M.S.

You make me mad!
With your stupid comments
And your trivial talk
Your fatuous remarks
And your facile re-assurances
“You’ll be O.K.”
“You’re strong”
“They’ll find a cure”
For sure!
They’ve been looking for an hundred years!
But I’m not mad with you
I’m mad with me!
Why couldn’t I see
That being kind to everyone but ME
Would destroy ME.
Calm down, Relax,
In fact, I’ve found the answer
I will reclaim my health and health of mind
And I can still be kind

I will learn to say “no” and not feel guilty
I will say “no” if I am being used
I will say “yes” if you are truthful and wanting
I will reject you if you lie to me.

We need each other
Everyone seeking out a ’fellow soul’
But we can’t be whole
Unless we are honest!

Forget the vanities!
Forget the trimmings
Accept real values
The joy of life — true friends
Don’t go for ego, status and prestige,
Rather seek out those things that you can use
After the door is closed
Then you will benefit from all your suffering
Laughing at this short passage of apparent pain
Eternal happiness is the ultimate gain!

by Lorna Bain — December 29th, 1985