{"id":8410,"date":"2021-04-27T15:42:22","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T19:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/?p=8410"},"modified":"2021-04-27T22:03:46","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T02:03:46","slug":"the-love-your-challenge-epilogue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-love-your-challenge-epilogue\/","title":{"rendered":"The LOVE YOUR Challenge – Epilogue"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re reading this post on my site (as opposed to getting it via email), you might note that I have updated my site header. I’ve needed to do this for a long, long time: as I’ve (probably) stated elsewhere, I started my blog (waaaay back in 2012) as a way to promote my art, writing, and editing, along with my freelance \/ consulting business, which I called dSavannahCreative. The photos in my blog header were indicative of that: images of my jewelry, paintings, photographs, writing, and marketing work.<\/p>\n

In case you don’t remember what the original header looks like (because it’s gone now), here it is, for one last look:\"\"<\/p>\n

I also used my blog to promote other authors and artists, primarily through guest posts and my interview series The Questions<\/a>. And even before I became a full-time Sick Person, I used my blog to talk about issues in our society, with the goal to Make a Difference<\/a> in the world, and Shine a Light<\/a> on the Dark Places<\/a> – I strongly believe we can only make changes if we pull those things we avoid into the light.<\/p>\n

As I became sicker and sicker, I switched the focus of my blog to primarily talking about my chronic illnesses<\/a> and doing advocacy<\/a>, with the hope of helping others feel they aren’t alone, and to raise awareness of issues many people just don’t know about.<\/p>\n

Also, as I’ve stated elsewhere, I blog as an act of defiance: my illnesses might have taken my careers and my old life away (and sometimes my actual voice!), but I’m Still Here<\/b><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Back to my header: although I am still creative (it’s in my bones!), I updated my logo a while back to what I’ve always called my blog: dSavannahRambles<\/b><\/span>. After fighting<\/del> playing with Photoshop and Illustrator, and with an assist from my web hoster, Lyrical Host<\/a> (who I LOVE [affiliate link<\/a>]), there’s now a new header that I think better reflects my blog as it is today. I hope you like it. (If you’re reading this via email, click here<\/a> to see my blog on the web and check it out. And if you’re reading this on the web, ignore this entire bit.)<\/p>\n

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It’s obviously been a long time since my last blog post (and I missed my goal of publishing on the 15th for both March and April!). Although I really enjoyed doing the LOVE YOUR Challenge<\/a> in February, and posting a selfie every day, it wore me out! But I almost think it did more for advocacy about my illnesses than all of my other efforts, and I got a lot of good feedback. I even had people tell me they would miss seeing my photo every day! (Color me shocked!)<\/p>\n

\"Small

This section of the post seemed very empty, so I thought I’d share a photo of flowers blooming this spring in our front yard.<\/p><\/div>\n

It also made me, well, not afraid to show my face, even if my hair is unwashed (like usual), and I’m not wearing makeup (which I haven’t, not in years), and I’m wearing PJs (you could say that’s my uniform these days).<\/p>\n

Writing an affirmation every day made me think. I already have a daily gratitude practice (which I’ve done since January 1, 2019), but the affirmations made me look at myself more closely.<\/p>\n

As I posted in a group yesterday, before I got sick, I tied my identity into my work and my accomplishments. Then all of that got taken away – practically overnight! – and I had to rebuild that identity. I had to learn to that I am worthy, just for existing.
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Writing affirmations for the LOVE YOURS challenge made me look inward, and reinforced that idea. Or, should I say, that truth. Because no matter what society tells us, our worth is not based on what we can produce, or how much money we make, or how high we climb the corporate ladder. Every bit of doing all of that ultimately didn’t, does NOT matter. I’m not the jobs I had, I’m not the awards I won. Those were all superficial. Those did not determine my value or how much I should love myself. Which is a LOT. And you should love yourself a LOT too.<\/p>\n

Since the challenge ended (so, almost two months), I’ve taken my cat Cricket to the vet (she’s a #spoonie, too!, with arthritis, respiratory issues, and inflammation); I’ve had both of my vaccine shots (shot one knocked me flat for two weeks, while shot two wasn’t quite as bad, with just loss of taste, a sore arm, some extra achiness, voice weakness, headache, chills, and extreme thirst); at least five more shots in my spine (those hurt more than the first set); 12 doctor appointments; four showers; three outings (not to a doctor\u2019s office, and one of them, I walked in the door of the store and had to immediately turn around and come home; depressing); three visitors (this is the most people I’ve seen in ages! I did a whole bunch of word vomiting on them – sorry guys!); zero good days; 12 productive days; ten semi-productive days; three non-productive days (where I wasn\u2019t quite crashed, but couldn\u2019t do anything either); and 17 crash days.<\/p>\n

I meant to share these Epilogue notes for my LOVE YOUR Challenge<\/a> quite a while ago, but as you can probably understand from that list, I never quite had the energy! Enjoy them now!<\/p>\n

(If interested in doing the Challenge yourself, check out Is Was Will Be<\/a> blog for info on the course<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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Epilogue 1<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"White<\/a>This Epilogue is very very late (since the Challenge ended Feb 28), but it\u2019s still appropriate!<\/p>\n

I sorta knew there was a giveaway involved, because there\u2019s a paragraph about it on page seven of the Self Love Challenge Workbook, but I didn\u2019t really think about it.<\/p>\n

Thus, I was entirely surprised when a small package arrived sometime in March. Turns out, I won the Love Yours giveaway – a t-shirt from our challenge leader\u2019s own collection! So of course, I had to model it!<\/p>\n

(If you\u2019d like to purchase one of these shirts for yourself, visit the #IsWasWillBeBlog shop<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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Epilogue 2<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"A<\/a>The first day of the challenge, I posted a photo of a little notebook that I said would be \u201cperfect for writing my daily affirmations\u201d.<\/p>\n

Every day (except for the couple I forgot), I would write an affirmation in it, often guided by prompts in the workbook.<\/p>\n

After the challenge was over, I printed all of the photos (on glossy paper) and all of the words (on green paper), and cut them out and pasted them into the notebook.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t created to hold so much stuff – it\u2019s now an inch thick! – so I keep it closed with a ribbon from my collection. Just looking at it makes me smile.<\/p>\n

\"Left<\/a>This second photo shows one of the interior pages of my completed #LoveYoursChallenge notebook.<\/p>\n

I love that I can hold this in my hands, a tangible reminder of the work I did on myself, and for myself, for an entire month.<\/p>\n

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Epilogue 3<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"On<\/a>On March 8, a friend I\u2019ve known since December 1996 (my word! where has the time gone!), from my early days working at the Center for Puppetry Arts<\/a>, drove down from the literal other side of the metro area to kindly drive me to two doctors\u2019 appointments, and to give my hubs a break.<\/p>\n

At some point during the visit, he gave me a package. Inside was this art and hand-drawn card, created by his wife, Amy Robinson.<\/p>\n

She posted this on Facebook:<\/p>\n

\u201cA friend of mine is struggling with severe #InvisibleIllness and underwent a challenge to post a selfie every day in February. On one of her posts where she was particularly vulnerable, all of our hearts just broke for her. Another of her friends said, \u2018I wish I could send you 9 billion Spoons\u2019. (dSavannah note<\/span>: My friend Mark, who shares his fiction on the blog My Souls Tears<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was suddenly struck with inspiration, and I needed to make a thing. I had it printed onto canvas to give to her as a gift at the end of her challenge, in hopes it might give her a few spoons in reserve. (8 to be precise, in honor of Discworld<\/a>, a fandom she and I share.)<\/p>\n

\u201cFor anyone short on spoons, please enjoy \u2018Bouquet of Spoons\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

To say I was verklempt was an understatement. The challenge not only inspired me, it inspired others, in ways I wasn\u2019t expecting.<\/p>\n

The piece now hangs in a place of honor next to my bed, so I see it every morning when I wake up.<\/p>\n

(If you don’t know why someone might want ‘9 billion Spoons’, or what a #Spoonie is, read The Spoon Theory<\/a> written by Christine Miserandino.)<\/p>\n

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Things you should read \/ Things you should do
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I often run across articles and blog posts that I feel deserve to be shared (not necessarily all of them about ME or disability).<\/p>\n