That’s What Friends Are For
The past few days have been stressful for me; I’ve been fighting a psoriasis flare up and depression. As Fashionably ill readers know, I have bipolar 2. The depression has felt left me seeing and feeling grey even when some great things have happened like celebrating my Uncle Jun’s 71st birthday yesterday. I am seeing my therapist tomorrow. But two great things happened today. First, I was a guest on HuffPost Live and I got to talk to music icon, Dionne Warwick! Second, I got a card in the mail from my friend Amy.
Talking to Dionne Warwick
I was in great company; the other two guests who answered questions included an Editorial Assistant from Madam Noire (a website I follow) and a writer from Forward Times Newspaper. The always fabulous Nancy Redd was the host who interviewed Dionne. I asked Dionne two questions. The second one was: That’s What Friends Are For is one of my favorite songs from my childhood. With the 25th anniversary coming up, would you consider re-recording it with Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder? Then, she gave a very thorough response. First, she said she wouldn’t re-release it because it is still very popular and continues to raise money for AIDS charities and AMFAR. Afterwards, she said she would think about re-recording it! (Awesome!) Dionne said she will ask “them,” them meaning Elton, Gladys, and Stevie.
Dionne’s newest album, “Feels So Good,” comes out next week. Dionne has duets with a wide range of artists including Cyndi Lauper, Jamie Foxx, and Billy Ray Cyrus.
A Pleasant Surprise
I did accomplish some things today albeit at a slower pace than I would like. I’ve been successful in my job-job (being a high school debate coach). Juggling a job with five diseases (bipolar, polycystic ovarian syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, asthma, psoriasis) , even when it’s part-time, is hard work. With work, it’s hard to fulfill my other roles as a health activist including blogging. This evening, I was struggling to get up. I fought by praying putting on my Rocky boxing gloves, playing Eye of the Tiger, and listening to His Eye Is On The Sparrow. Then, a card arrived in the mail from my friend Amy. We became friends when we were in high school. She now lives in another state and is a wife and mother to four children. With our busy lives, we don’t get to talk as often as we’d like. This is an excerpt from Amy’s uplifting card:
Remembering you in my prayers today…May I be able to comfort you with the comfort I have received from the Lord. I was reflecting that God uses my mistakes, failures, and migraines to remind me of how much I am dependent upon Him for strength and howI need to credit Him for victory. I also was praising God for being the “God of all comfort”…Remember you are remembered and loved.
I was reminded that I am not alone. Little acts of kindness can make a world of difference to someone who is struggling. Indeed, as Dionne, Elton, Gladys, and Stevie would say, that’s what friends are for:
–Your Stylist, Jessica Gimeno
Don’t Fight Alone!
Until my next post, you can find me on Facebook. Like Fashionably ill’s page https://www.facebook.com/fashionablyill. Meet other readers who bravely battle a wide variety of illnesses. Being sick is hard. I wish that none of us would be forced to fight alone.
You can also follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JessicaGimeno
