BEFORE & AFTER
💜 Do you remember your life before you received a diagnosis for your Rare child's disease? In a sense there is a before and an after–before you noticed symptoms, before you realized that something was different or that your child was not hitting the usual milestones. Once you realize what is happening, you are in your new life which is a life after the diagnosis. This was the topic of discussion in our Tuesday Women's Empowerment Circle.
Was I there?
You might remember that early on as a new mother, you were just trying to survive. You were consumed with getting through each day and doing everything in your power to care for your child and keep them alive. For some of our group members, looking back at the early stages when they first noticed changes was painful and they expressed that it “made them feel sick to their stomach.” You too may have had traumatic experiences and challenges feeding your child. One person shared that she was in a doctor’s office and had them tell her to stop breast-feeding immediately and use formula instead. These are the kinds of things that raregivers deal with on a regular basis.
Feel your feelings 💜
Perhaps after you received a diagnosis you found yourself randomly crying. Remember that crying is productive and your feelings make sense. As a woman, you are an emotional creature. Many women talk about how their husbands don't cry, which is often due to the fact that it is not socially acceptable for men to cry. Additionally, men are generally better at compartmentalization. Trust your experience. Feel it all and take small sips of joy. Make the choice to take care of yourself and savor the sacred moments with your Rare family.
Theme For This Week: Getting to Know Yourself and Your Core Values
In this meeting, we will get to know ourselves and each other more deeply. We will take the time to look within and honestly assess what really matters to us in life. Each of us has our own set of values, that like a moral code, help guide us through our decisions in life. Our values clarify who we are and articulate what we stand for. They help determine our tastes, our way of life, our social, political and religious affiliations. Some of them may be transitory or appropriate for a specific circumstance. Other values are more fixed and stay with us throughout our life, forming the basic elements of how we live and work: these are our core values. Come and explore your core values, hear from others and align with what is true for you in a safe space.
Please Join Us 💜
You may not realize how much you need the Raregivers community until you find it.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88974713173
We look forward to being with you soon. 💜💜💜💜💜💜