Strive To Be Kind
~~~You can’t have unity without diversity”~~Richard Twiss~~
~~~The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans have a form of Lupus. There are 4 types of Lupus. There are 14 common autoimmune diseases and over 100 different autoimmune diseases that exist today. With statistics like these, autoimmune diseases are becoming more prevalent in our society. We have heard of Toni Braxton, Nick Cannon, and Lady Gaga raise awareness for Lupus and Fibromyalgia because they themselves suffer from these diseases. It’s possible that we all know a friend, family member, or co-worker who has an autoimmune disease besides ourselves.
~~~Imagine all the people from different backgrounds, from different parts of the country, with different ways of life. With this many autoimmune diseases imagine all the different symptoms, the different ways of coping, the different medical treatments, etc. No two people are alike even if they have the same thing like Lupus. As different as we are from one another is exactly how we are the same. I think it is important to remember the big thing we have in common is this disease, is the Lupus. It brings us together. It unites us. I know that I am not the first person to be misunderstood because of my Lupus.
~~~If we extended knowledge towards the ones that are willing to listen, imagine the power we could have to change the hearts and minds of others, all the good we can do. We can take that positive momentum and spread it to others who do not have the disease and teach them empathy. We can spread the word that just because we are sick, we still need to be considered and thought about. There are millions of us in the autoimmune comm-UNITY. Although we have very complicated backgrounds, our humanity brings us together. Let’s continue to be there for one another. Together we can make a difference. Those who have Lupus or other AI diseases and those who don’t, let’s be kind to one another. There is strength in numbers, there is strength in our comm-UNITY!! #LupusMariposa® #UnityWithDiversity #Strive2BKind
