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What Is A Strong Person To You?

This proverb was written anonymously and can be found in the book The Language of Courage and Inner Strength.

People are like tea bags.
You fiind out how strong they are
when you put them in hot water.

Do you think that having an illness can make people stronger?

Yes, I think that people living with AIDS, cancer, schizophrenia, and other illnesses are strong people because the disease trys to suck the life out of them, but they won't let it. Fortunately with treatment they can overcome.

This proverb was written by Maya Angelou, and is from the book Words of Hope and Courage.

I can be changed
by what happens
to me.
I refuse to be reduced
by
it.

Again, do you think that having an illness can make people stronger? What is a strong person to you?

Comments

YoYo said…
It takes great strength to live with an illness, that much I know. Does it make you stronger? I sure as hell hope so!! If not, what is the point of being put through all that pain for?

I have no idea what it is like living with schizophrenia, but I do know what it is like going through life not knowing what the next 5 minutes might bring. I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. Sometimes to the point I can't leave my house. It has been war trying to find the right meds, and it's still not completely comtrolled. Honestly sometimes I feel like I have your illness, my moods change so randomly that I don't even know me.

I look forward to hearing more on what you have to say..
Matthew Howard said…
People tell me I have a bipolar disorder, but I don't know.

I honestly think a strong person is one who can think for themselves. Doesn't always listen to establishment. And makes their own path No matter what it might be.But thats a bit different than what you are talking about.

I do agree that having to deal with anything that other people don't will not only make you stronger, it will make you that much of a better person in the long run.
gmama said…
Strong can be defined by so many things, it is so broad. This blog belongs to my daughter, and she is very STRONG! She has handled this situation look, I, myself could not. I believe it is hard to actually express just what has occurred in her life, you would have had to be there. I do not know what I would have done! I don't know if I could have handled the way she is. When this situation occurred, she continued on with her life, with a strong passion on educating herself and making herself better. She did not seem to even stop and think about it and say "poor me." She just plummetted forward. I look at her and cannot express my love, and how proud I am of her. I truly don't know what to say when I see here because she is truly unbelievable. This blog is helping all of us, her immediate family. It appears to be therapeutic and strengthening in itself. It's those little things that come out whenever its ready to come out. As far as strength goes, I was happy when she started this blog, but I did not stop to think about the reality, the realness of what would come out. Honestly, as her mother, I could not muster the strenght to read it because it forced me to deal with the healing I have to deal with. It IS forcing me to pull strength out of somewhere so that I can move forward a little bit faster, with my daughter. I hope what I am saying is making sense to those reading this.

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