WEGO’s The Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Prompts (#HAWMC)

April is health activist writers month, also known as #HAWMC. For each day in April, WEGO has a prompt to get you blogging. Now, as usual, I’m late in signing up, so this post will include the prompts for April 1  and 2nd; then in another post, I will approach the 3rd and 4th’s prompt.

April 1: Health Acrostic: write an acrostic for your condition or the word health.

(I had to look up what an acrostic was before I even attempted this one.) Since atypical chronic facial pain is a bit long, and IBS is a bit short, I shall try the word health: happy even after losing their healthfullness/heart/hope

For chronics, we often have to reimagine our worlds, our dreams, our hopes, our aspirations. Some folks are able to find a new happiness; one grounded in the realities of chronic illness(es)/chronic pain. This can be bliss in the simple things, the small victories of brushing our hair, sweeping the floor, posting a blog, commenting on face book, knitting a scarf or a work of art.

It can take awhile to find that happiness: there is a loss of heart and hope embedded in the very chronicness of our illness(es) and pain. Some people find their way through spirituality, others through family and friends. For some it’s writing, for others it’s reading (or listening to ebooks).

Chronics may regain hope: of a diagnosis, a cure, a magic potion, or a day, an hour, a minute in less pain. Their hearts may be opened by/to others in their chronicness communities, partners who are there for the bad times, the yucky health times or friends in the real and virtual worlds.

health: happy even after losing their healthfullness/heart/hope

April 2: Word of the Day Post: Go to dictionary.com and write a post inspired by their WOTD. Or, grab a dictionary, (or any book), open it up, and pick a word. Can you link this back somehow to your condition?

Today’s word is dapple: a small contrasting spot or blotch; to mark with patches of a colour or shade; to spot; marked with contrasting spots; dappled.

       

 

snowdrops

Spring is the dappled season: small splotches of colour against the darkness of the winter earth. The shadows of rain clouds passing overhead.

The burst of song as warblers return to the budding branches.

Dapple is also contrast; light and dark; the before and after of chronic pain and chronic illnesses. If I wasn’t in pain, I would . . . If I wasn’t so tired, I could . . .  To lament what has been lost; what can not be.

But, I could spend the little energy available to open the blinds to the shifting beams of sunlight; let in the smell of spring – the wet of the earth, the greening of the garden.

Rest in a chair outside the door; with face towards the sun (with sunscreen, of course). Watch the koi swim in the dappled waters of the pond.      

dapple koi spring

 

And, for those who have more pain than I, who have less mobility than I, are more tired than I, my life might seem like a dappled spring walk in the park.

Related Articles

• Join Me in the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge #HAWMC (unavitabella.com)
• WEGO Health Activist Prompt 2: Word of the Day (somebodyhealme.dianalee.net)
• Question: Does fibromyalgia make me sexier? – #HAWMC Day 3 (I’m all caught up!) (chronicbabe.com)
• Word of the day: Meditation – #HAWMC Day 2 (chronicbabe.com)
• WEGO Health Activist Prompt 4: Ludicrous Headlines (somebodyhealme.dianalee.net)