Beckie Butcher's Blog: beckiesworld.com, page 6

Someplace Warm!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Anywhere there is a plush hotel, white, sandy beaches, and blue ocean waters!

Mine!

What podcasts are you listening to?

“I’m Just So Tired of This!”

Beckie Butcher, Judi Brownfield.

Something Creative.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Composition. I enjoyed writing even as a kid. It was a creative outlet for me to express myself and my feelings.

An Update

Hello, dear friends far and near!
Well, I’ll get straight to the point.
I am taking a Holiday hiatus until January 1st. I believe I mentioned last time I started writing my second book. I feel this is the time to write it and I am nudged to do it now. I am being nudged to finish it by the end of the year, and, where I love to blog, I can’t do both. It’s just too much for me. Writing takes a lot more energy than people think. It takes a lot of planning, forethought, and, in my case, research. It uses mental energy as well as physical energy. There are other things going on in my life as well which need my time, attention, and focus. I need to relax and, at the same time, get things done, and I can’t do it under duress. Nobody can. Besides, I will have much more to say and with a much clearer mind. I will be fresh as a daisy by then.

So, my friends, I send you best wishes and joy for the Holidays! I’m sure I will check in as I always have in the past, but this will just be my last blog post for awhile.
Take care and I love you all.
Beckie

battlecfs.wordpress.com
http://beckiebutcherwrites.com

youtube.com/watch?v=Y0aEcnleBOE

#cfs #cfsisreal #cfsawareness #cfswarrior #beckiebutcher
#beckiesbattle #beckieoffershope #chronicfatiguesyndrome #wordprompts

Sorry But….

Hello, all!
I hope you are all well because, well, I’m not. It’s a nasty day here in Chicago, and my body is telling me so and not in a very nice way. So, I am here to say there won’t be a blog today. Perhaps in a couple of days after I get some much needed rest. I wish you all a happy rest of the day and a relaxing evening.
Hugs!
Beckie

battlecfs.wordpress.com
http://beckiebutcherwrites.com

youtube.com/watch?v=Y0aEcnleBOE

#cfs #cfsisreal #cfsawareness #cfswarrior #beckiebutcher
#beckiesbattle #beckieoffershope #chronicfatiguesyndrome #wordprompts

Hello!

Hello, everybody! I hope this week has been good to you.

I was thinking yesterday about why I never got married. Although it was not a priority for me, I always thought one day I would, but with the long hours and stresses which come from working in medicine, I never found the time. Then, it came to me; I never got married because God had another purpose in mind for me. I was not put on this earth to raise children. I was put on this earth to shine light on a serious but misunderstood disease called chronic fatigue syndrome, from which millions of people suffer. Had I been married, I would not have had the time or the freedom to write whenever I pleased. I write at two in the morning sometimes. I would not have had the time or the energy to write my first book much less this blog and my second book. I would have spent my time and energy, what little of it I have, taking care of a family, or, at least attempting to do so. God needed me to write instead, and since my life has gone this way and has been this way for so long, I can’t imagine anything else. My life the way it is would not have been a good family life for any children I might have had, either. I could never have done a husband and a family any good. I couldn’t have given them what they needed. So much of it would have been on them which would not have been fair to them. Everybody involved would have been stuck taking care of Mom. What kind of a life would that have been for the children? Not a very good one. Kids deserve to be kids and not tied down taking care of a sick parent. It wouldn’t have been fair to a husband, either. He couldn’t have enjoyed a life other couples enjoy. It would not have been fair all the way around.

It hasn’t exactly been fair for me either, but life isn’t always fair. I’m not the only one. But, here I am, glorifying God and doing His will. He is working His purpose out through me. Perhaps that is worth more than getting married and raising a family. Who knows? This will be revealed to me when I reach the other side of Heaven. Answers are not always revealed while we are here on Earth.

However, my life is not without its blessings. My dear friend from church took my out for our monthly lunch today, and I have friends who call to let me know they are thinking of me or to check on me and see if there is anything I need.
No, this is not what I signed up for, but it is what I was called to do, and, in spite of anything, it is getting cfs somewhere. Not as many people mock it or turn their noses at it anymore. I have reached people, and they have actually reached out to me and thanked me for my work. It almost makes it all worth it.

Remember, you can inspire just by example. People can and often do learn by watching those who suffer get out of bed in the morning and live their lives with smiles on their faces. That’s inspiring, even if it doesn’t seem that way to you. People watch and people notice more than you think. So keep smiling!

Take care. Until next week,
Beckie

battlecfs.wordpress.com
http://beckiebutcherwrites.com

youtube.com/watch?v=Y0aEcnleBOE

#cfs #cfsisreal #cfsawareness #cfswarrior #beckiebutcher
#beckiesbattle #beckieoffershope #chronicfatiguesyndrome #wordprompts

Another Book.

What have you been putting off doing? Why?

Writing my second book. I haven’t written it because there wasn’t much more known about my illness, so it would have been pointless.

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (...

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

When I lost my last surviving parent.

Happy Second Week of October!

Well, hello, everybody!

If I sound like I am in an especially good mood this week, it’s because I am. As I mentioned a couple times before, I participated in an Author Fair at my local library. It went very well. In fact, it went so well, I have started writing my second book! I mentioned last week how, when I participated in Author Fairs before, people would just walk past me and snicker at my title. Well, this year was especially productive. I didn’t sell many copies, but about five or six people stopped and asked me about CFS. Many inquired about it in depth and really asked me some pointed questions about it. Some mentioned they had read quite a bit about it and what a hardship it must be. Some even asked me how I was doing, and they listened intently to my responses. Yes, people really care about it now. At least, that was my experience Sunday.

I felt so good about how things went when I got home I realized it was time for another book. I would get back to work the next day. That, I did. I returned to writing on Monday.

Is it time? Yes, definitely. Although it crossed my mind to write another one much sooner, I didn’t feel the time was right. Not a lot was known about it back then, so there wasn’t much more to say. It would have been pointless. I also had other things to think about; fighting to get my disability was one of them. Taking care of my now late mother was another. I also had a lot to live through still. I was thinking earlier today how that just might work for me rather than against me. This is because there has been much more research done on CFS. Not only that, but it has gotten more political support. There is now(and there has been for several years) a National CFS Day. May 12th was chosen because Florence Nightingale had CFS, and May 12th is her birthday. In May of 2017, the state of California passed a resolution making May National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month in order to bring the seriousness of CFS to light in the medical community. Yes!
And, as I mentioned earlier, I still had a lot of hard knocks to experience. They were awful at the time, and I almost gave up several times, however, so many people stuck by me and helped me through all the terrible pain, both physical and emotional. I have a lot hard but worthwhile lessons behind me now which have given me a great deal of perspective. I have so much more knowledge and insight to offer now, both medical and emotional. Knowledge is power, and, because of what happened at the Author Fair, I realized I am one powerful lady. It made me reflect on just how much I have grown over the years.

So many times, I wondered why I was here and what the purpose of my life was; well, Sunday was my God wink giving me the green light to write another book. Yes! This book MUST be written now! This was such a huge revelation to me, and my upcoming book will be a huge revelation to others.

You see? God revealed His instruction to me at just the right time, and He will to you, too. The words I would use to describe this are, “I was called by God,” to get back to work.

Open your heart and listen for His voice. He will direct you and help you navigate this crazy disease. You have a purpose, too. We all do, and He will reveal it to you at just the right time as He did me. We’re gonna do this!

Well, take good care this week. I will, “talk,” to you next week.

Love & Hugs,
Beckie

battlecfs.wordpress.com
http://beckiebutcherwrites.com

youtube.com/watch?v=Y0aEcnleBOE

#cfs #cfsisreal #cfsawareness #cfswarrior #beckiebutcher
#beckiesbattle #beckieoffershope #chronicfatiguesyndrome #wordprompts

Could It Be Worth It???

Hello, my dear friends!
I hope you all have been well. I haven’t been. My allergies have been so bad I’ve actually been in the sick bed most of the week. Oh well, things are better now.

One thing I have been doing is preparing marketing materials for an Author Fair this Sunday at the local library. It is something I thoroughly enjoy because, not only does it get me out of the house, but I have met a lot of interesting and fun people over the years, plus, I meet readers face to face and am able to tell them my story personally.

It’s funny though; when I first started doing this in 2016, people would stroll past my table, smile at me, look at my title, then…..well, frown and snicker at me. I actually had some crazy lady walk up to my table and say to me, “so you really have this, huh?” Unbelievable, I thought to myself. She actually had the guts to say that to my face in front of everybody. Suppressing the desire to climb over the table and wring her little neck, I very calmly said to her, “yes, I really have this, and it’s no less real than cancer, multiple sclerosis, or lupus.” (Grrrrr…..) But, I knew if I wanted to be invited back, I had to be an adult and calmly put her in her place, and put her in her place, I did. All I had to do was mention these diseases and she shut right up, quickly. She then asked me some questions about CFS, which I calmly(and gleefully) answered for her.

Now, however, when people walk past my table, rather than frowning and snickering, they comment on how they have heard of CFS and how hard it makes life for those who suffer. Even other authors will walk up to me and ask me about it. Ahhh….progress!

This got me thinking; as hard as this has been and although I have thought of giving up in the past, in a way, it has been worth it. The most best lessons are learned (or taught) through the most painful life experiences, and I am learning I have taught many. Every time somebody asks me about CFS, it gives me a chance to help somebody. It gives me a chance to educate on the reality of it and build social support for it. There’s something rewarding in that. Sometimes, I feel grateful this happened to me, because, with the ability to educate, I am able to pass along the gift of knowledge and let people know they are NOT alone and somebody cares for them. Knowledge is power, and I have talked about learning as much as you can about CFS so you can be proactive in your care.

Hmmm…something about that actually sounds good. Yes, I hurt, yes, I am exhausted, but at the same time, knowing I can be of help is what keeps me going. Knowing 2,038 people viewed this blog globally last month keeps me going. So, I whittle away at each day knowing those days will give others hope; it also helps to know people are learning more about CFS and are interested in learning more about it.

Well, that’s all I have for you this week. As always, take good care of yourselves and I will, “talk,” to you next week!

Much Love,
Beckie.

battlecfs.wordpress.com
http://beckiebutcherwrites.com

youtube.com/watch?v=Y0aEcnleBOE

#cfs #cfsisreal #cfsawareness #cfswarrior #beckiebutcher
#beckiesbattle #beckieoffershope #chronicfatiguesyndrome #wordprompts