The Mindful Migraine

Happy Valentine’s Day to the romantic souls amongst you.  The day apparently originated as a means of honoring the martyr St Valentine, who used to administer services, including marriage, to the early Christians of the Roman Empire (and was killed for his actions).  The more you read, the more you discover there were apparently several St Valentine martyrs whose relics are scattered across the world.  The United Kingdom is responsible for turning the religious day into a flower-frenzy and the giving of Cadbury chocolates to lovers, as well as generating poetry about roses-red, violets-blue, sweet-honey and sweeter-you.  The United States of America then took it up a notch through the proliferation of greeting cards.

More simply, Valentines Day offers an opportunity (formally or casually) to say “I love you – thank you for being there for me” to all the friends and family who have supported you throughout the year.  It’s a good reminder that you haven’t come this far all alone, even if it sometimes feels that way.  There are others who care for you, sympathize and empathize, even if they can’t completely understand what you’re going through.

Our family and friends love us and are doing the best they can, however they can, to help.  I know that my husband would like to ‘fix’ everything, and my mother wishes she could ‘take it all away’.  Each are disappointed in their own way that they can’t fulfil their intentions.  Nonetheless they remain ever-present, ever-patient, ever-loving.

Perhaps the hardest love of all is self-love.  It’s easy to dwell on all the times you’ve ‘let people down’ or ‘fallen short’ as a result of battling chronic pain.  Pushing past pain is frustrating and exhausting and often leads to feelings of low-self-esteem. 

I can’t tell you how to love yourself more deeply.  All I can say, on this day of love and martyrs, is that you’re as deserving as everyone else, and your day-to-day efforts are tremendous. 

Hang in there team, and take care.  Love Linda. x