I wrote this near the end of 2021, the year I was the most sick with chronic inflammation:
It’s too easy for me to see 2021 as a failure. My sickness, which took up half this year, felt like it stole the year away from me.
It also felt like sickness stole me away from me and from everyone else.
Like, before it, I was fun and happy, and after sickness, I became a shell of myself.
However, a month ago, I was looking through my Instagram and I found that 2021 wasn’t so bad. There were adventures, sweet friendships, laughter, and beauty. Even in the midst of the sickness I was still me and I still did what I could and enjoyed what I had.
In fact,I know my illness made many of these things more beautiful, more enjoyable. And showed me that some things are constant, even when our health isn’t.
I don’t think any of us had an all or nothing year, though it’s easy to see things that way.
Half of mine was spent being sick, half was in “health”, but we can’t split life into good and bad because even the good has bad and the bad has good.
The first half of my year held relationships ending, and honestly, held some sickness even then. The second half held deepening friendships and sweeter walks and talks with God.
If you can, press a little deeper into reflecting on your year. Try to see that even with the bad, there was probably some good.
Joyful Ruins 
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