4 minutes ago, LunaLove96 said:

Also, something I’d forgotten that helps me. Gratitude. I know what you’re thinking. We’re in the practical fight of our lives, so.. being grateful? I’m not saying this works in the more difficult moments, but when it does ease and I still am not 100%, mindset is everything. It shifts your focus from the negative to positive and helps if I’m feeling hopeless or sinking.

For instance, things we take for granted. I can walk. I got up this morning. I have food to eat and to drink. I’ve got air working in my lungs. My heart works.

THIS!! At our old church where we used to live, we had a semi-retired assisting priest who said Mass every few Sundays and came to the parish office once a week. His wife suffered from debilitating neuropathy pain from a series of illnesses and physical conditions. The pain often left her in a wheelchair. It also kept her awake on many nights. She told us on the nights she couldn't sleep, she would get out the parish directory and pray for each person or family in it. She told us anyone, no matter how bad off they were, had gifts to offer others and had something to be grateful for. I hung onto that during my WD and recovery.

2 hours ago, mstimc60 said:

I read the entire original Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle. Most of the stories are fairly short so you don't have to commit to lengthy reading sessions. They're also pretty light but interesting enough to keep your attention. What are some of your go-to books?

Oh my gosh, too many to list! I've really been getting the most out of my library card these days 😂.

Recently I've been getting into some sci-fi series. A couple of my favourites are the Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells and the Monk & Robot series by Becky Chambers. Both series are made up almost entirely of short novellas, but very well written, easy to read but with some philosophical depth.

I've also re-read Sally Rooney's latest novel Intermezzo a couple times this year, it's one of my favourite books of all time. Same with Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. Those Irish writers have really got something special!

3 hours ago, SarahMc said:

Hi all! I love this topic. I know not everyone is able to do this, depending on their WD symptoms, but I've been spending a lot of time reading in WD. I have a lot of brain fog, so I pick novels that aren't too dense and are pretty easy to follow, and that are pretty lighthearted or at least have happy endings.

Does anyone else find themselves reading a lot to get through the day? If so, I would love to hear any book recommendations! And I'm happy share some recommendations myself if anyone is interested 😊.

Hi @SarahMc

Can't read as much as i wanted but try to, every night before sleeping. I've almost finished "the road less travelled by Scott Peck.

What do you read?

Edited July 2Jul 2 by poulette38

19 hours ago, poulette38 said:

Can't read as much as i wanted but try to, every night before sleeping. I've almost finished "the road less travelled by Scott Peck.

What do you read?

Looks interesting! I mostly read fiction these days, I find a story easier for my brain to follow than trying to absorb a bunch of facts, if that makes sense. I put some recommendations up in the post right above yours 😊

On 7/2/2026 at 10:47 AM, poulette38 said:

The power of prayer is immense, @LunaLove96

Can you pray? It’s difficult for me and I feel terribly sorry for myself, because I have the impression that I am abandoning the Lord, and not that he is the one who abandons me. How can one pray while being totally disconnected from oneself, others, from all sensations, from reality, etc? It’s so difficult!

Most often all I can do is to confide to the Lord that I can’t pray. I read an excellent little book on prayer a few months ago, and nothing is more important in a prayer than the heart you put into it. The most powerful prayer is the simplest: just telling God that we love Him. Nothing else. He doesn’t care about the rest; He already knows everything. There are so many things to say about this.

Just pray with love and humility. The Lord does not like lies, cold feelings, or selfishness etc in this act. It seems simple to say and understand, but praying correctly is quite an art in the sense that some pitfalls are to be avoided.

I no longer have the book in front of me, but I will put the reference here later if it might interest someone.

@Raymond said: "In the name of Jesus, we will all heal." I hope so much and I also hope that this suffering will be returned to us, in some form, during our life after wd or in another life. In the book of Job, Jesus returns a hundredfold what he had lost: more cattle, more children... Is it really that naive to believe that, or do we have to do it at all costs?

From personal experience, I know that the worst moments of turmoil in a life are immediately followed by wonderful periods. I really believe that there is a certain invisible balance in this world. It’s hard to believe it so clearly when you’re going through a hell like this, when you can just rejoice (intellectually speaking only) that you’re alive every day.

Which passage from the Bible is talking to you right now?

I try to pray for as many folks as I can on here.

But I must say He does care about everything. He’s more personable than we give Him credit for. There’s no right or wrong way to me for prayer. I’ve learned over the years it’s just talking to him. Being real. In the midst of suffering months ago I wouldn’t have been able to form eloquent, standard prayers. Rather, I remember being at my window, a hot mess with my emotions throwing me around and feeling angry at God. My circumstances.I looked at the beautiful day outside I was far removed from and shouted, crying, “Where are you!? Can’t you see me right now?! I’ve been in and out of hospitals losing it and each day im going crazy! If you love me God, please, do something!”

I didn’t get a miracle at that moment, but I did get the strength to get through the day. Then another. And a week would pass, then a month.. to here. Much better than the acute hell I was in. I’m so grateful He’s more patient and understanding than we realize. I’d given up on myself so many times, but all the while He was right there, encouraging my heart, keeping me going. He forgave my finite understanding.

If He only expected love in prayer, while we force ourselves to forget everything else, it would be selfish. I think of the scripture that says “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”, and “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Prayers

6 minutes ago, LunaLove96 said:

I try to pray for as many folks as I can on here.

But I must say He does care about everything. He’s more personable than we give Him credit for. There’s no right or wrong way to me for prayer. I’ve learned over the years it’s just talking to him. Being real. In the midst of suffering months ago I wouldn’t have been able to form eloquent, standard prayers. Rather, I remember being at my window, a hot mess with my emotions throwing me around and feeling angry at God. My circumstances.I looked at the beautiful day outside I was far removed from and shouted, crying, “Where are you!? Can’t you see me right now?! I’ve been in and out of hospitals losing it and each day im going crazy! If you love me God, please, do something!”

I didn’t get a miracle at that moment, but I did get the strength to get through the day. Then another. And a week would pass, then a month.. to here. Much better than the acute hell I was in. I’m so grateful He’s more patient and understanding than we realize. I’d given up on myself so many times, but all the while He was right there, encouraging my heart, keeping me going. He forgave my finite understanding.

If He only expected love in prayer, while we force ourselves to forget everything else, it would be selfish. I think of the scripture that says “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”, and “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Prayers

Years ago, one of our priests gave a homily about belief. He said God loves us unconditionally. It’s okay to question Him, be mad at Him, and doubt Him. But don’t question if He exists and if He loves us. It’s hard to accept that sometimes, especially when we’re suffering, but He’s always there.

4 minutes ago, mstimc60 said:

Years ago, one of our priests gave a homily about belief. He said God loves us unconditionally. It’s okay to question Him, be mad at Him, and doubt Him. But don’t question if He exists and if He loves us. It’s hard to accept that sometimes, especially when we’re suffering, but He’s always there.

Yes, this whole experience changes a person and throws us into some dark places. I hated it. But faith has never been made more stronger than under suffering.

16 hours ago, LunaLove96 said:

I try to pray for as many folks as I can on here.

But I must say He does care about everything. He’s more personable than we give Him credit for. There’s no right or wrong way to me for prayer. I’ve learned over the years it’s just talking to him. Being real. In the midst of suffering months ago I wouldn’t have been able to form eloquent, standard prayers. Rather, I remember being at my window, a hot mess with my emotions throwing me around and feeling angry at God. My circumstances.I looked at the beautiful day outside I was far removed from and shouted, crying, “Where are you!? Can’t you see me right now?! I’ve been in and out of hospitals losing it and each day im going crazy! If you love me God, please, do something!”

I didn’t get a miracle at that moment, but I did get the strength to get through the day. Then another. And a week would pass, then a month.. to here. Much better than the acute hell I was in. I’m so grateful He’s more patient and understanding than we realize. I’d given up on myself so many times, but all the while He was right there, encouraging my heart, keeping me going. He forgave my finite understanding.

If He only expected love in prayer, while we force ourselves to forget everything else, it would be selfish. I think of the scripture that says “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”, and “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Prayers

You are right, everyone prays as he wishes, and fortunately that God is there to listen to all our burdens and sometimes, perform miracles.

The lack of love in prayer is selfishness, that what I meant. Selfishness is by definition a lack of love for the other, and an excess of love for oneself. The saints did not pray for themselves, they prayed because they loved God.

Giving our supplications to God is not enough for Him to fulfill them. The outcome does not belong to us. James 4:3: "and even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong - you only want what will give you pleasure."

This video is interesting (can be subtitled) :

It’s an abbot's reaction to the movie "Bruce Almighty" with Jim Carrey.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your beautiful messages 😍. May we all heal from this terrible journey. 😔

This is probably a short lived comfort but one thing I’ve absolutely been loving lately are the YouTube videos on foreigners experiencing America for the World Cup. I’ve never seen anything so wholesome in a long time. Every video of things I as an American never thought twice about is just so sweet to see someone amazed by. There’s such a sense of togetherness that completely disproves what media is always portraying. Go get some wholesomeness in y’all. ❤️

12 minutes ago, LunaLove96 said:

This is probably a short lived comfort but one thing I’ve absolutely been loving lately are the YouTube videos on foreigners experiencing America for the World Cup. I’ve never seen anything so wholesome in a long time. Every video of things I as an American never thought twice about is just so sweet to see someone amazed by. There’s such a sense of togetherness that completely disproves what media is always portraying. Go get some wholesomeness in y’all. ❤️

On the flip side, living in Portugal for two years gave us a new perspective on what it means to be an American. We found the Portuguese to be among the most kind and gracious people we ever met, and almost never ran across resentment towards "ugly" Americans. And we quickly learned the American way isn't the only way. Just as an example, there are no drug stores like CVS or Walgreens in most European countries. Even if you want a small package of ibuprofen, you have to go to a small pharmacy and ask for it. But a lot of grocery stores have mini pharmacies in a checkout lane to pick up common medications.

We live in Los Angeles (the actual City of L.A., not a suburb), and despite its reputation in most media stories as being a wasteland and full of self-centered people, we've found our neighbors to be very friendly and outgoing, and we have a real sense of community--and we live in a very ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood. Yesterday, we went to our community's annual 4th of July parade. With the homemade floats and high school bands, it could have been in any small town in the Midwest. America isn't as bad off as some people would have us believe!

17 hours ago, mstimc60 said:

On the flip side, living in Portugal for two years gave us a new perspective on what it means to be an American. We found the Portuguese to be among the most kind and gracious people we ever met, and almost never ran across resentment towards "ugly" Americans. And we quickly learned the American way isn't the only way. Just as an example, there are no drug stores like CVS or Walgreens in most European countries. Even if you want a small package of ibuprofen, you have to go to a small pharmacy and ask for it. But a lot of grocery stores have mini pharmacies in a checkout lane to pick up common medications.

We live in Los Angeles (the actual City of L.A., not a suburb), and despite its reputation in most media stories as being a wasteland and full of self-centered people, we've found our neighbors to be very friendly and outgoing, and we have a real sense of community--and we live in a very ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood. Yesterday, we went to our community's annual 4th of July parade. With the homemade floats and high school bands, it could have been in any small town in the Midwest. America isn't as bad off as some people would have us believe!

I think this is key to peace, understanding that we are all different, beliefs, cultures, non of it right or wrong, just different and all of it requiring mutual respect.

Sometimes I just think a giant colorful bouncy house with zero judgement would be perfect. 👌🏻🤷🏻‍♀️

On 7/2/2026 at 8:56 PM, LunaLove96 said:

Also, something I’d forgotten that helps me. Gratitude. I know what you’re thinking. We’re in the practical fight of our lives, so.. being grateful? I’m not saying this works in the more difficult moments, but when it does ease and I still am not 100%, mindset is everything. It shifts your focus from the negative to positive and helps if I’m feeling hopeless or sinking.

For instance, things we take for granted. I can walk. I got up this morning. I have food to eat and to drink. I’ve got air working in my lungs. My heart works.

I wonder how many people didn’t wake up this morning. Or they’re looking at us thinking they wish they could do something again.

Working in healthcare I’ve seen many people in difficult situations, and my mind always goes to someone when I think about how bad my situation is.

Just food for thought. It lifts me up.

Loved it, though it's so extremely hard to be grateful in suffering it's definitely something we should always strive for along with humor in all its forms.

Thank you @LunaLove96

Edited July 18Jul 18 by Fullhealing

You may not know but I am a huge tea enthusiast, I have seriously gotten into tea in 2022, and had a break of a year and a half from end of 2024 (due to my health stuff and then psych drugs nonsense), but I have returned to my hobby in March this year. @Chippy knows well too much about how much I love tea hahaha.

Picture of a ripe puerh session (Dayi 7562 2006)

1 hour ago, Lighty said:

ripe puerh session (Dayi 7562 2006)

What does this mean??? I’m so curious!

I drink tea every day (really glad I can still handle black and green teas right now). I thought I was a bit of a connoisseur since I go for the high quality loose leaf teas and really like interesting blends from a local shop, but looks like I’m nothing compared to you 😅.

3 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

I thought I was a bit of a connoisseur since I go for the high quality loose leaf teas and really like interesting blends from a local shop, but looks like I’m nothing compared to you 😅.

Tea is mostly a Chinese area culture so people in the west have no clue about tea haha, but also most chinese don't know much about tea.

6 minutes ago, Lighty said:

Tea is mostly a Chinese area culture so people in the west have no clue about tea haha, but also most chinese don't know much about tea.

Ha, fair enough! Well your picture looks really neat.

You may have no idea what I’m talking about, but it reminds me of the Monk & Robot books by Becky Chambers. They’re about a “tea monk” who travels around and serves special teas to people and listens to their problems. Really excellent books if you’re interested!

11 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

Really excellent books if you’re interested!

To be fair nowdays im not a book reader but thank you.

3 minutes ago, Lighty said:

To be fair nowdays im not a book reader but thank you.

Fair enough! 💜

This might be a bit of a limited cozy comfort, but y’all may have access this time of year. I absolutely love summer thunderstorms. Something so cozy with dark clouds on the horizon, nearing rumbles of thunder and light rain. Even better with candles as it gets dark with the growing pour of rain (minus the powered air conditioner going out). I just have qualms about loud thunder ripping across the sky and making you clutch the ol’ aorta. 😅

⚡

8 hours ago, LunaLove96 said:

Something so cozy with dark clouds on the horizon, nearing rumbles of thunder and light rain.

Those dramatic skies are very special. Used to photograph landscapes a lot, that drama, does something to the soul somehow....

On 8/14/2026 at 4:12 PM, LunaLove96 said:

This might be a bit of a limited cozy comfort, but y’all may have access this time of year. I absolutely love summer thunderstorms. Something so cozy with dark clouds on the horizon, nearing rumbles of thunder and light rain. Even better with candles as it gets dark with the growing pour of rain (minus the powered air conditioner going out). I just have qualms about loud thunder ripping across the sky and making you clutch the ol’ aorta. 😅

⚡

We live near Santa Monica Bay, so we don't get many summer rainstorms. But there's a nature reserve with a walking trail overlooking the bay. Almost every night, the breeze comes up and fog and clouds roll in. If you catch it right at dusk when the sunlight catches the fog, there's nothing more beautiful in all of California.