Sunday Saying

The fairly recent (at least overtly) “battle” over what constitutes a “fact” is one that … puzzles me. This is especially true when people question “facts” regarding the physical world and the principles underlying it (without any reference to metaphysics or epistemology or any other branch of study that questions what our physical world really is) – if our current science has empirical data “proving” something, for now, we can assume that this “evidence” is true … and if it is true quantitatively, it is a fact.

With all of that nonsense said, I would like to point out one thing – regardless of how (or why) anyone decides to perceive facts as “lies,” the facts remain facts – they do not care if you think they are facts. To phrase that succinctly I refer to the quote “facts don’t care about feelings.” True. True. True.

There are many times in our lives – especially if you are one of “us” who struggle with severe chronic illness or disability – to ACCEPT the “facts” of our lives. HOWEVER, in the continual journey toward ACCEPTANCE, I think it is absolutely imperative that we remember that THE FACTS THAT TELL THE STORY OF OUR LIVES MIGHT HAVE VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS, BUT THE FACTS ARE FACTS AND THOSE FACTS DO NOT CARE ABOUT HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THEM. I can be terribly distraught that I might go blind one of these days: I am doing what I can to keep that from happening. HOWEVER, the FACT remains that I stand a 20% chance of going blind at pretty much any time the “disease” is active and especially active in my eyes. It is a terribly upsetting statistic – a terribly upsetting FACT. But that FACT is one that defines who I am and what my life is, and it certainly will not change just because I don’t like it or I’m terrified of it, &c. A simple way to say that is that no matter what you have been through (facts) and what you are currently facing (facts), the only way to ACCEPT what you are going through and what you have been through and to live a “better” life is to acknowledge what IS (facts!) and to move ahead with your life however you can do so. The papers that state that 1/5 Behcet’s patients with active eye disease will go blind (higher in some areas, lower in others) will not change just because I don’t like it. It is the same kind of matter as being upset that so many people in the world do not have access to clean water. That is a FACT. It is a horrible one and we CAN DO WHAT WE CAN PERSONALLY TO CHANGE THAT, but just being sad and bothered by that FACT doesn’t change it at all.

I hope that not only helps clarify certain issues for you but I hope it helps you in your journey toward acceptance in regard to chronic illness or whatever you are facing in life. We have to “take the cards we have been dealt” and “play” to the best of our ability with them. I really believe that making that acknowledgment – that facts don’t care if you like them or not – is CRUCIAL in starting to accept … just about anything and everything in life!

I hope you are all having a happy and healthy day wherever you are in the world and I hope you have an amazing week!

❤ Always, Beth