Lizzie, An Inspirational Woman With Adversity

[This is a repost from my main blog, with slight modifications.]

I read Thu's blog entry about a woman, named Lizzie, with a rare disease. It causes her to not gain weight, which has more serious consequences than bulimia and anorexia, in my opinion.

Read more to find out what this means to me.

I find her struggle meaningful for a couple of reasons.

First of all, she is dealing with adversity. She wonders why this kind of suffering happens to people. Her success in dealing with adversity could be an inspiration to all of us, for all areas of life.

Second of all, I deal with people looking at me often, because of my hosiery. My problems are similar in nature, but I could easily take off my hosiery, and she can't change her body. That doesn't mean that I can't find similarities. When I write, I can inspire people, in the same way that I was inspired: by pointing to her. Every time I want to encourage you, my readers, to stand out and make a difference, I might point to her.

Many of you might not wear hosiery visibly in public because of what people might think. Just look at her. People stare at her. She suffers, but she still has friends and family. Isn't that the most important part? You have a chance to make a difference, and to get attention. You can change the world, if you allow yourself to be seen. When you meet people, tell your story. Let them sympathize with you, and cheer you on.

What about women who have husbands who wear? Are you afraid of what people might think? Maybe you need to interact with people who look. By showing your support for your man, you'd be giving him more room to be himself, and broadening the horizons of other people.

People looking at us should learn that there is more to life than not suffering.

I see a bright future for many of us.