‘This has been a hard journey. I know the want to give up. This road isn’t meant to be walked alone.’: Woman pens open letter to chronic illness warriors, ‘I’m fighting beside you’

“Dear Hurting One,

I know the struggle you are going through. I know the hurt deep in your heart. And I am here to remind you, you are not alone.

I know the long, tiring nights. I know the mornings where you feel least like yourself. I am here to tell you, you are loved.

I know the moments when you do not want to carry on. I know the want to give up.

I am here to let you know you are worthy enough to wake up each morning.

This has been a hard journey without an end in sight, I know. I will not sugarcoat it and pretend like everything has been easy.

But, oh Hurting One, when will you finally look up and see the true magic that lies inside of you?

When will you realize the strength you hold deep in your soul? That every morning you choose to wake up is a victory in itself?

Maybe the lesson and purpose of life is not the end goal when we add up our successes.

What if it is in the journey? What if we started being grateful for the little things in life?

Counting the wildflowers and treasuring the stars.

What if we started seeing the magic all around us and in ourselves?

The way life gives us a fresh opportunity every day to be who we were created to be. What would life be like then?

If I could be right by your side, dear Hurting One, I would give you a hug and never let go.

I would remind you of your amazing track record, of how you have come out the other side of each horrible nightmare.

I would gently tell you how truly loved you are and how you are worthy of every bit of love that may come your way.

Oh Hurting One, how I wish you could see the true beauty and hard strength I see in you.

Lastly, I would take your hands in mine and remind you we are in this together. You will never ever be alone in this journey.

This hard road is not meant to be walked alone. I am fighting beside you, cheering you on every step of the way.

I know the days are long and hard, making it easy to numb ourselves to the pain. But I encourage you to feel!

Feelings are what make us human and remind us we are breathing, living beings. It is no secret some feelings are harder to feel than others.

But those more challenging feelings and emotions still have their own importance. They are never wasted.

Without pain, we would never truly appreciate what it is like to feel joy.

The little joys in life would begin to feel watered down in their importance to us if we had no hardship to compare them to.

So again, I encourage you… FEEL!

Feel the joys and the sorrows, the Mt. Everest victories and the valley dips, and everything in between.

Because those are the things that make day to day living a life.

I am writing this to you, dear Hurting One, from a place of experience and love.

I know where you are at, and I know what it is like for there to be very little life around you to grasp onto.

But I also know there is a beautiful life waiting for all of us if we wish to choose it.

A beautiful life does not stem from where you are viewing it from.

You can be in your bed, on a couch, in a hospital room, or in a doctor’s office. It does not matter where your life is taking place.

A beautiful life stems from the decision to find gratitude for the little things and the choice to take in the beauty the world around you has to offer.

I know you have it in you, oh Hurting One, to find those beauties, and I believe you can do it.

All it takes is a choice.

With all of my love,

Slowly Healing.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Emily B of Florida. You can follow her journey on Instagram and Pinterest. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.