10 Quotes for the Tough Days With Chronic Illness
Throughout my 13-year journey of living with chronic illness, pain and disability, I’ve experienced my fair share of difficult times. When the day is eclipsed by sadness and hopelessness, and everything seems to elucidate the loss generated by our illness, sometimes we need a gentle reminder we will make it though.
Here are 10 quotes to help get you through the tough days.
1. “…If opening your eyes, or getting out of bed, or holding a spoon, or combing your hair is the daunting Mount Everest you climb today, that is OK.” – Carmen Ambrosio
2. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou
3. “Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” – Vincent Van Gogh
4. “It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.” – Doe Zantamata
5. “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Kahlil Gibran
6. “The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering. – Ben Okri
7. “Hope is not about proving anything. It’s about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak shit anyone can throw at us.” – Anne Lamott
8. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
9. “You are never stronger…than when you land on the other side of despair.” – Zadie Smith
10. “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” – Frida Kahlo
If you or someone you know needs help, visit our suicide prevention resources page.
If you need support right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.
We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor here.
Thinkstock Image By: Creative-Touch
Noelle is a graduate student studying clinical mental health counseling, an ambassador and trained support group leader with the U.S. Pain Foundation, and a crisis counselor. She has lived with RSD/CRPS since 2004.
noelle_lopez