I had like ten new notifications when I opened lemmy today, which (as a commenter-only) is by far a personal record.
Turns out it was due to my very first post on lemmy, about a little victory, and every single comment was supportive and encouraging!
It made me feel less ashamed about my big struggles and small victories. Small victory, but big win.
(I didn’t expect little victories back to back, but I promise I wont clutter the feed every day, haha)
I cannot put to words how happy I am to see this post. Your positive experience is the precise reason I made this community!
It was a great initiative to create it, thank you!
Hey here’s another little win for you
Thank you, I appreciate it!
You were overwhelmingly kind in comments on one of my posts. So it made me happy to find this post.
I wrote something years ago when I was recovering from illness. Very similar struggles as you faced.
It’s called Today I Walk Like a King and I’d be happy to share it if you want to read it.
Absolutely, I’d love to read it!
Thanks for letting me share it. I made it for myself, after a great day caught me by surprise, so I could read about it on the days that were difficult.
I woke this morning, and something was different.
Nothing announced it. No great revelation, no sudden understanding. Just the quiet of a morning that asked nothing of me.
I turned in my bed. I sat up. I stood.
And somewhere between standing and taking that first step, I realized I hadn’t thought about any of it.
There was no negotiation. No wondering what the day would allow. No deciding what was worth doing and what would have to wait.
I simply walked.
I walked into the kitchen, reached for my coffee, bent to pick something off the floor, and stood again.
Such ordinary things. Such magnificent, ordinary things.
I thought about going outside, and then I went.
Not because I had carefully considered it. Not because I had saved enough of myself to make the journey.
I wanted to go, and that was reason enough.
The world hadn’t changed. The sun was the same sun. The birds sang the same songs. The people went about their business, unaware that something extraordinary had happened to one man that morning.
I had been given a day.
A whole day that belonged to me.
Not divided into what I could and couldn’t do. Not measured by how much I had left. Not borrowed against tomorrow.
Mine.
And I found myself smiling at things that deserved no particular smile.
A walk across the yard. A little work around the house. Standing in the sunshine with nowhere I needed to sit.
I could make plans without first asking permission from something I could neither see nor control.
And perhaps that was the greatest gift of all.
For once, I wasn’t thinking about myself. I was thinking about the world, and all the little things in it that I might like to do.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds. I have learned not to make promises on tomorrow’s behalf.
But today?
Today, I walk without thinking. I stand without effort. I move because I wish to move. I live because there is living to be done.
I have no crown. I own no kingdom. There are no servants at my door, no riches waiting in my name.
But I have something that no amount of gold could purchase.
For this one beautiful, ordinary day, my life belongs to me.
And today, I walk like a king.
That was a lovely read.
The words are so full of contentment and joy and peace that you almost don’t notice the pain underneath, the past experiences, which made such simple things extraordinary. Almost missing that while reading helps illustrate emotionally as well as verbally the surprising lack of pain you felt that day.
I love that you’re able to celebrate a good day without worrying about the bad days. And I think a lot of people can relate, whether they’re held back by physical or emotional pain.
I’ve been struggling with a touch of despair lately, and forgotten to elevate the good things, but I’ll carry this with me into tomorrow - and I think tomorrow will be a better day for it.
Thank you. This comment is at least as good as what i wrote and i’m glad the feelings came through.
Like you, i will carry it with me and remember it when i look for brighter days.
Good work! Social interaction is worth infinity times its weight in gold! (I mean, since social interaction doesn’t weigh anything but it’s very important and valuable.)
I agree! It can feel scary to put oneself out there but it’s a skill that needs practicing like everything else.
I am glad you are here
Thank you, I appreciate you!
And your username brought me on a memory trip to a childhood home with that exact functionality, which I still don’t understand but it was a fun way to mess with people.
