Birthday Blog – Open Letter - And a Gift for You

Hey Everybody,

I’ve been trying to figure out how to start this (supposed to be humorous) birthday blog for a couple of days now. Nothing’s coming to me, which usually means I’m not on the right track.

If you know me as a writer, or you’ve checked out the Bad Things Come in Threes home page, you know I’m a pantser. Definition: a writer who sits down and types whatever pops into their head as opposed to someone who outlines or drafts in advance.

I sit down, look at the blank page, hit the keys, and whatever I’m working on begins to emerge one word at a time. I’m also a writer who has to edit as I go. In fact, I can rarely move on until I feel every sentence I’ve crafted thus far fits together and does what I’m asking it to do.

And there it is…

The reason for today’s blog.

What is it that I’m asking these chronic pain blog posts to do? Entertain? Inform? Inspire? Bring joy? Words are power. Put them together well, and you can have a positive impact on many. Get it wrong, and there may be no end to the shit storm you stir up.

So why risk it? Why put words on paper? And why the hell would anyone post the ramblings of their diabolical mind on the Internet?

Excellent questions.

The answer?

Fuck, if I know?

Maybe it was getting the Ankylosing Spondylitis diagnosis, right before turning fifty? Maybe it was because I hadn’t written anything in a couple of months, and I was missing the feeling of accomplishment that comes with crafting a great line? Maybe I’m just bat shit crazy, and a glutton for punishment?

Whatever the reason.

Challenge accepted.

If you know me, you know I’ve been telling people for the last four years I’m fifty.

It’s awesome. You should try it.

People will say, “Wow, you look young for your age!” and you can be like, “Gee, thanks!” and feel really good about getting older.

That’s my strategy, and I’m sticking to it. And according to Canadian country music superstar, Brett Kissel (who thought I was thirty-five when we met outside the Grand Ole Opry – Ryman Auditorium), it’s working! Mind you, he didn’t see me try to navigate any stairs in Nashville this weekend.

The truth is, in head, heart, and spirit, I’m a solid thirty-five. In body? Not so much. In body, I’m pushing eighty-five. Especially during a major flare-up like I was suffering this past week. Yep. I walked. Hell yeah, I danced. Damn straight, I drank too much alcohol, ate too much inflammation-causing food, and went to bed too late.

The result?

Knees that randomly gave out on the street, hips that painfully locked and popped, shoulders that ached constantly, and an extra sore and stiff back on waking up every morning.

Was it worth it?

Yes. Yes. YES!

For me, it was. Turning fifty in Nashville, with Roy holding my hand, and my best friends drinking beer beside me was worth the daily 9/10 pain levels.

It’s a trip I’ll remember forever, memories that will make me snort-laugh when I’m alone, a milestone birthday party that was everything I wanted it to be and more.

How does a girl get so lucky?

Fuck, if I know?

What I do know is…I’m feeling grateful. Grateful for the love and support I’ve been getting through this blog, and I want to share.

So here’s my birthday wish – let’s grow this chronic pain blog together. Let’s wrestle our aches to the ground, give them a humorous elbow to the face, bobble back up like a Weeble Wobble, and pop the top on a can of fuck this shit.

I’m livin’ for today, and right now, for whatever reason, sharing my chronic pain story matters to me. So here’s the deal. I’m asking for your support in getting my On The Road to Greater Wellness…or Fuck Me, I Just Want to Feel Better Blog out there through social media shares, comments, word of mouth, etc.

Any way you can help me accomplish my sharing is caring goal is a gift that keeps on giving, and I am and will continue to be, grateful to all who bumble along this journey with me.

So, in the spirit of sharing, I’m doing the same with a FUCK CHRONIC PAIN giveaway.

Yep! You read that right. I’m going to be giving away two Sharing is Caring prize packages worth approximately $150.00 each!

Packages will include some of my favorite gizmos and gadgets for easing the spoonie lifestyle. More to come on that – with photos – but for now, here’s how to enter.

Hit that subscribe button, and if you like my blog posts and think I have something to say that’s worth reading, then please share.

Share. Share. And share some more, because one prize package will go to the subscriber who reaches the most people on social media between now and the end of February.

The second prize package will be a random giveaway to one blog post subscriber in honor of my fiftieth birthday.

That’s it. That’s all you have to do. Subscribe to my blog – I promise the only email you will get is a notification when a new blog is posted (plan is to aim for one post a week).