What if I was never cursed with Crohn's Disease? Where would I be? What would I be doing? Who would I be? Crohn's is a nasty disease; it's a curse. It slowly eats away at your digestive sytem. And, if allowed, it will eat away at your spiritual and emotional being. I have battled this curse my entire life. I have often longed and wondered what my life would be have been like without Crohn's disease. And I do believe it would not be as rich.
As weird as it may seem, I don't believe I would be the person I am. Because of Crohn's, I've learned to enjoy the little things in life. I've learned to take time to watch the butterfly flutter by, I've learned to watch the eagle soar and listen to the rooster crow. I've learned to marvel at the miracle of a hen laying an egg and to pause and watch the squirrel jump from branch to branch.
Because of Crohn's, I color, play with Lego's and I love playing the Wii and beating Marty at Scrabble. Crohn's has reminded me that it's okay to remain a kid a heart. It's okay to take showers in the rain, splash in the mud puddles and jump in the leaves. And you're never too old to play hide-n-seek.
More importantly, I've became a better mother. Not knowing if tomorrow would come, I learned to take the time to cuddle my boys a little tighter, read Dr. Suess a little more, and to give more hugs and always say, "I love you," a million times a day. Because of them, I've always had a reason to fight. They are the reason I rise in the morning. Don't get me wrong, I love Marty very deeply, but I know he'd be okay without me. I can't imagine anyone else being a mom to my guys.
So, as for me, I suppose Crohn's has made me a better person. Don't get me wrong, I hate Crohn's disease and I hate what it has done to my body, but without Crohn's disease I would never have been forced to reevaluate my life and so for that I am thankful.
Original Post
