Multiple Sclerosis and Lent

The View From Here: Opinions from a Life With MS

'As the faithful, agnostic and even some non-believers look at giving up a luxury for Lent, Blogger Trevis Gleason reflects on MS and the season'

It may seem quite far from the mark that a non-believer has taken the opportunity of the liturgical calendar flipping once again to the season of penance and atonement to write a blog entitled ‘Multiple Sclerosis and Lent’. I intend not to offend as I do so. With many – from the faithful through the agnostic and even on to some non-believers – using these 40-odd days to abstain, religiously or not, from some luxury I figured I was wading into only mildly dangerous waters.

People with MS are no strangers to “giving something up”. More accurately, we’re all-too-well acquainted with something being taken from us. Mobility, career, sensation, sight… the list of things we’ve had to learn to live without (or with diminished faculties) is longer and more painful than most would rather consider.

Like the season, however, what we’re doing without isn’t the real focus now; is it?

Those who chose to ready themselves for the coming celebration through self-denial use this penitence as a method of spiritual focus, not as a focus itself. So to can living a life with an ever expanding list of disabilities is about using something we do not have in order to focus our energies on using what we do retain to better effect.

Time for the inevitable case in point;

If one gives up their daily fancy coffee for Lent and only focuses on the cravings for and the piety of doing without the luscious beverage then the “for Lent” part of the exercise seems devoid of purpose. Were this person to use the passing of each of their favourite coffee stands to reflect upon their reason for the self-inflicted abstinence and, perhaps, take the daily cost and put it to use as a donation to a worthy cause, then the act takes on higher meaning.

So too would the simple focus on and bemoaning of the things that MS has taken from us if we don’t do something with that experience.

If MS has taken away our ability to perform our career (as it did with me) in the same manner and we don’t use the newly available time to make a difference in the world around us (even if it’s just the world within our home) than we are missing an important opportunity. I am not (NOT) one who sees anything about MS as a blessing. I am not one who will give MS credit for anything good in my life.

“MS didn’t teach me anything,” I’m oft to say, “but I’ve been a good student.”

If, like the successful Lenten observer, we are able to turn not towards the pain of loss (which will still exist no matter which way we turn) but away to the opportunities to use it to propel us toward something good then we will find some joy and celebration in every day. If not, we will simply be the person that nobody wants to talk to because we can’t get past the fact that we’ve missed yet another tall, skinny mocha and we’re going to let it ruin everyone’s day… not just ours.

I welcome your thoughts on how we can all turn away from the negative (which will not go away) and towards doing something with the experience.

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers

Trevis

My book, Chef Interrupted, will be available on March 1, but you can pre-order your copy now on Amazon. Follow me on the Life With MS Facebook page, on Twitter, and check out TrevisLGleason.com

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