Happy Birthday to Me

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Lisa Alioto

01 December 2020 24 comments

I usually don’t write articles specifically about myself but this year is a different year of all sorts so I thought I thought I would just go for it!   The good, the bad, and the ugly of the year that is ending in my birthday month, December.

The Good

I have amazing people in my life!  To me it’s the people that matter the most in life and in this area, I have been gifted. I have a great family and amazing friends.  They are there for the laughs and also the hard times.  And have there been the hard times (but more of that later).

I’ve been one of the lucky ones that has been able to continue working during this pandemic.  I know not every one is so lucky and I truly count this as a blessing!  In fact, working from home has been beyond a blessing – it’s been a lifesaver when it comes to my chronic illness.  The extra energy I save by working at home has helped my condition from progressing more than it has.

I’ve spent the year enjoying many things, including new books, movies, and finding new ways to get to know my friends and family.  This pandemic has forced us all to do that quite a bit.

I’ve been able to continue to strongly advocate for greater awareness and support for my chronic illness.  In addition, I have been lucky enough to be able to directly help many of them find the medical help that they need.

The Bad

As many of you know, I have a chronic illness.  I fear that it is progressing at a rate that is way too fast for me.  And unfortunately, I don’t have a practical way of stopping the progression and just hope and pray that all this attention on Covid long haulers, many of which that are getting MECFS, will help in the fight for a cure.

I still grieve the loss of working out.  My chronic illness has caused me to have many losses in my life but for some reason this one will not go away.  It’s not just the working out but it’s the stress relieving qualities of it, how healthy and strong it made me feel, and the physical effects of it.  I’ve had so many bigger losses because of this illness but for whatever reason, this one sticks with me the most.

The Ugly

I’ll keep this short and sweet but I think we all know where we are going here: the Pandemic!  It’s affected us all in different ways.  For me, it has affected my ability to see my family and friends in ways that I won’t get into. We all have our stories.  Let’s just hope that we are closer to the end of this Pandemic then we are the beginning.

Overall

The good, the bad, the ugly.  It’s what makes the world go around.  I’ll take what’s life’s given me this year and rejoice in the magic of it all!  I am blessed.

Happy Birthday to Us All

What are your 2020 birthday thoughts?  How has your year been, pandemic and all?

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24 thoughts on “Happy Birthday to Me

  1. Happy Birthday! I’m sorry to hear about your illness and I really hope things get better in that front to allow you to return to at least some exercise that you enjoy.

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thank you so much for your kind thoughts Johana!

  2. Sad to hear about your illness, it’s good to know you had some good moments during this year. My year was an emotional rollercoaster lol but from the looks of it, the year should end smoothly for me. I hope next year will be filled with even more good moments for you.

    1. Lisa Alioto

      I wish the same for you!! Glad your year is ending on a good note!

  3. I hope your birthday was full of more ups than downs. I also have a chronic illness (addisons disease and hypothyroidism) so feel your pain 🙁

    Helen
    Tea in the Tub

    1. Lisa Alioto

      I’m sorry to hear that you do – I wish for as healthy as possible season and upcoming year for you Helen!

  4. Happy Birthday! I’m sorry you are struggling with chronic illness. Hopefully something good will come out of this pandemic and they will not only find a cure for the virus, but also something that will help you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thank you for your very kind words Tiffany – I hope so too!

  5. Happy Birthday to you! This year sure has been an interesting year, hasn’t it?! I think your summary of it is a really good way to categorize it into the good, bad and ugly — it can be hard to look at it like that sometimes but I think it can be where we learn most about ourselves. I’m sorry to hear that your chronic illness has progressed in a way that you had not anticipated and that it’s causing you to feel a loss — nothing I can say will be anything close to helpful but I wish you newfound ways of coping, some unexpected positives about living with your illness and that you continue to find new things to enjoy. Here’s to 2021!

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Molly – those are the kindest words ever spoken and they mean a great deal to me. Thank you!

  6. Happy Birthday Lisa! And I wish you happier and healthier days ahead! Don’t you worry, you got it and you are awesome! xoxo

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thanks Amisha! You are awesome too!

  7. Am I late? HAPPY BIRTHDAY ?? sorry to hear about your health.. Sending love and prayers your way.
    Thank you so much for sharing

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thank you Marilyn! Well wishes to you and happy holidays!

  8. Happy birthday Lisa! So sorry to hear about your health, but I hope that things will get better on that front, and that the year ahead is a good one. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thank you Raji – I wish you a wonderful holiday season and year ahead!

  9. Happy birthday! Sorry to hear about your illness, I hope things improve for you.

    Tash – A Girl with a View

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thank you Natasha – I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

  10. Hope you had a lovely birthday! I think all birthdays during the pandemic have been weird ones!

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thank you Alex – I agree. They all have been a bit off.

  11. Happy Birthday! ♥ I wish you to stay strong and healthy!
    There are things we can’t change, but we can accept them and go further!

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Yes, yes yes! And thank you Sandra Ans!

  12. So sorry to hear that you are struggling with a chronic illness. Despite the many losses in your life, I really admire your strength as you go through this challenging situation. Stay strong and Stay safe!

    1. Lisa Alioto

      Thank you Fritzie! Wishing you a happy holiday season!

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