Home Sweet Home…My Chronic Illness/COVID-19 Sanctuary

I wrote this blog post well before self isolation, quarantine and lockdown were common words in our vocabulary.

As we enter a new world, dictated to us by COVID-19, my chronic illness life and the lives of so many disabled with chronic disease, may now be better understood.

One of the ways those of us in the chronic illness community can show kindness and support throughout this global pandemic, may be to share our coping skills in the area of self-isolation and a limited social life.

Even social distancing is something we adopted well before this term began to trend.

Home Sweet Home is where it all starts.

Make it a haven. Make it a place you want to be in. Declutter, reorganise and make beautiful spaces throughout your home that allow you to create, reflect, read, listen to music, exercise, cook…..whatever it is that makes you smile and gives you purpose, incorporate those things into your Home Sweet Home.

We will get through this and I believe we will all adopt a new, healthier way of living for everyone on the other side.

Life usually holds many wonderful adventures.

Travel, work, days out, drives in the countryside, eating at wonderful restaurants and cafes, visits to family and friends.

The list is endless. The opportunities to broaden your horizons are plentiful.

What If You Are Housebound?

What if  you can’t do any of those things? What if you are housebound? What if your body is incapable of being out for longer than an hour a day, in fact only an hour every few days, on a good week, all being well?

What does life look like then?

What if the four walls of your home are your boundaries? What if looking out the window at a beautiful sunny day is the extent of your outlook?

What does life look like then?

For many people with chronic disease, life’s limitations are severe. Finding light and life, within the walls of their home, is perhaps one of the keys to survival. Perhaps finding such joy in the home is the key to a happy existence, in what would otherwise feel like a prison sentence.

How Do You Cope?

I am often asked how do I cope not being able to get out?

Comments such as “I wish you were able to do more”, or ” I would love to see you get to a cafe or spend a day out”, are said with true love and concern from friends who want to fix what can’t be fixed.

I want to reassure everyone, in particular those who are living with severe chronic illness, that a fulfilled and happy life can be found in the confines of your home.

Home Sweet Home

I love my home. It offers me security. It offers me comfort both physically and spiritually.

It is the place where I rest. The place where I laugh. The place where I cry.  The place where I pray.  The place where I sing.  The place where I muse with my friends on my phone.

You will be secure, because there is hope;  you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

Job 11 v 18 (NIV)

It’s the place where I am enveloped by the love and care of my beautiful husband.

It’s the place where I write. The place where I think. The place where I eat.

It’s the place where I sit outside in the garden and admire the beautiful flowers. It’s where butterflies and birds visit me.

Home Sweet Home, is my world. It is a beautiful place and I love it.

I am content within it. I nurture it. I care for it. I potter in it. I express myself in it through interior decor that reflects the things I love.

It is my artwork and it brings me joy to be within it and surrounded by it.

The walls do not suffocate me. They allow me to live life as full as possible in a safe place.

It is priceless. It is life giving. It is my refuge.

It is my Home Sweet Home!

Take Care

Sam xx

If you’re looking for genuine support, care, understanding and friendship, you are so welcome to join my closed Facebook support forum, Medical Musings with Friends . It’s a safe place to connect with others living with chronic and complex diseases, who truly understand the daily challenges. A warm welcome awaits.

I’m also a Contributor at “The Mighty”. You can check out my published articles at My Author Page

I also write @ Blogs by Christian Women

I’m a member of the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network, the Grace Girls Facebook Group and Salt and Light Linkup Group

If you would like to read a little more about my journey, here’s the link to My Story

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WEGO Health Award Nominee 2019- Best in Show Blog

WEGO Health Award 2018 Nominee