“Standing in the doorway, the doorway
Watching the lightning and the trees sway
Singing “I-me-me-mine, I-me-me-mine”
And the rains came heavy from the north”
– Henry Jamison
It’s becoming dark out and you can see rain in the distance; you immediately brace for a thunderstorm. Most of us have seen thunderstorms throughout our lifetime. Some of us enjoy thunderstorms (me) and some of us hate them (my dog). Whether you like them or not, they’re going to happen no matter what. You have no control over them, and you certainly don’t want to try and stop one. What’s amazing is that each of us goes through a thunderstorm each day. Are you a little confused? Let me explain it for you!
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We See It Coming
“Whoa, did you guys see that lighting? I bet it’s heading our way.” We see thunderstorms approach every time. Like a thunderstorm, epilepsy has signs of approaching. For me, it was a tingling sensation in my left arm. If I felt that, I knew my “thunderstorm” was coming. Every person has a different aura, and should be aware of it. If you can’t tell when your storm is approaching, others around you will be there to guide you. Trust me, I’m dealing with that right now!
It’s Here!
“Holy cow that was a big streak, did you see that?” Yes, having a disability often means battling rough times. These rough times are simply our “thunderstorms.” Thunderstorms can be terrible or hardly nothing. This describes our fight every day; sometimes it’s a full-on storm with wind, lighting, rain and hail and other times it’s a storm with one streak of lighting. What’s cool is that a lot of people think thunderstorms are awesome! Like Henry Jamison says in his song, “Watching the lightning and the trees sway,” people watch storms as they take place, which means those people look at us like we’re unbreakable. Some people may see us as inspiration, motivation and a sign of strength.
Blown Away
“Aw man, it’s gone already.” Yeah, have you ever seen a thunderstorm that has lasted a lifetime? If you have, please contact your weather person ASAP! Every thunderstorm passes by, as do our seizures. They may pass in a few seconds, or in a few hours, but they will pass. Every storm leaves a mark, and that mark for us can be another level of strength.
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Thinkstock photo by Neil Lockhart.
Hello! My name is Kyle Kieffer, and I run an internationally recognized disability blog. I'm also an inspirational speaker talking about over coming living life with a disability. My goal is simple; inspire the epilepsy community one person at a time.
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