Healing Hopefully: The Liebster Award

Chronic Mom nominated me for the Liebster award this week! The Liebster award was created to recognize and/or discover new bloggers and welcome them to the blogosphere. I'm not exactly new to blogging, and neither are the people that I nominated. I also can't exactly tell if they have less than 200 followers (which is one of the requirements) but we're going to go with it since they are awesome blogs. So let's just say that these are awesome blogs that I'm recognizing as being sort of "unsung heroes" of blogging because that is what mine was described as when I was nominated, by the way, thanks for that Chronic Mom. :)

Once you receive the award you pay it forward to other blogs of your choosing and then pay it forward from there etc. It's kind of like a chain letter but less annoying since you get exposed to other blogs and other people get exposed to yours. The nominator asks ten questions of the nominees and here's the questions Chronic Mom asked of me:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I honestly started blogging when I was bored in the hospital after I almost died from a colitis flare and my potassium crashed and I had just lost my job and I was scared, alone, and didn't know what to do with my life. Everything was up in the air. I thought no one would read it but my mom. Through the years it has transformed in what it means to me and to my readers. Now I blog to bring awareness to the many chronic illnesses that I have and also bring some inspiration, hope, and positivity to those living with or without chronic illnesses. Maybe a little funny too. I hope I do that. That's my goal at least.

2. What is your favorite quote?

This is a toughy. I have so many favorite quotes. I think that I will go for a Bible verse because so much of what gets me through my illness with positivity (most of the time). My key word is usually hope. So I will go with: "She holds onto hope for He is forever faithful." Based off of 1 Corinthians 1:9

3. What is your favorite book?

I love to read. I don't think I could pick a single favorite book. I have loved every book I read by Jodi Picoult. I am currently reading One Thousand Gifts and love that book too. I read a lot of textbooks. I think if I had to pick one favorite book ever it might be To Kill a Mockingbird just because it was the first book I "got" as a kid that was more mature. The first book I actually read for class that I finally understood and could contribute to the class discussion about in a real, intellectual fashion. I have reading comprehension issues because of my illnesses but I love reading for fun.

4. What is something you have learned recently?

"Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy. A triplet of stars, a constellation in the black. A threefold cord that might hold a life? Offer a way up into the fullest life? Grace. Thanksgiving. Joy. Eucharisteo. A Greek word...that might make meaning of everything?" "Thanksgiving always precedes the miracle" One Thousand Gifts

5. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Unsolicited advice. I do not need a lecture. Advice. Etc. Even if you do have the same thing as me and think you're helping. If I didn't ask for help, I don't want it. If I'm answering someone else's question don't respond to my answer by trying to fix me. I didn't ask for help, I was helping someone else. If I ask for your advice, I will gladly accept it and any reprecussions for asking for your advice, but until I do ask, don't offer it. I pay doctors good money to give me advice about my health and value their opinion. Thank you.

6. What are three random facts about yourself?

I play bassoon but it is hard with my tube because of the abdominal pain because of the air pressure.

Sometimes I have no idea how I'm going to be "sick" for the rest of my life because being sick at home all day is incredibly boring and horrible. Then I get comments like your so lucky to stay home all day and about lose it. I just wish I could do normal things. No one understands.

My dog owns me and she knows it.

7. What song are you addicted to at the moment?

"I Shall Not Want" by Audrey Assad"

8. What is your most cherished memory?

Probably winning state high jump in the Junior Olympics or anything that revolved around me being just a normal, happy, healthy person. Even something as little as being able to hang out with my family without worrying about what could go wrong with my body.

9. What is the first thought that popped in your head this morning?

Where am I? What time is it? Why hasn't mom gone to work yet? Because I thought it was like 10 o'clock. Then I wanted to know if it had snowed so I knew if the roads were bad enough for me to not go get coffee or not.

10. If weight were a non issue, what one thing would you eat every day?

Reesee's Peanut Butter Cups

The Liebster Award is a way to recognize worthy and inspirational blogs with under 200 followers. You can choose to view it as an annoying chain mail message, or a lovely recognition and pay it forward. Some of these blogs I've been following for a while and some of them I've just been blog stalking, one I just started following this week, but they are all fantastic blogs about chronic illness that I've been reading lately.

The blogs I nominate are:

The questions I want to ask of them are:

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What are your favorite hobbies?

3. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

4. What is your favorite color and why?

5. Do you have any pets?

6. What's your favorite way to pass the time in bed while you or your loved one is ill?