Busy, busy, busy

A friend recently reminded me of the hidden treasures stored in being busy, especially in a fast paced society where the word busy is used repeatedly. Quite often it’s the answer to, “How are you?” Think about how many times you use the word and if you’re not too busy, ponder these thoughts.

There are many who wish they could be busy. The shut in who is forced to stay indoors because of the weather or the cancer patient too ill to leave the bedroom. I think back to the extreme busy in the dialysis months with Michael and the three to four days a week devoted to that life saving schedule. Every time Michael wishing he was busy with something other than kidney dialysis. There are patients and families enduring that intense schedule right now, which makes my current busy schedule, appear minimal. The fading memory of overwhelming busy has given me a new approach to the not enjoyable on my to-do list by thinking, it’s better than a day at dialysis. Calling to mind the hopes and dreams of a little boy who at one time wished he’d be busy with anything other than managing the affects of a rare disease.

Today, February 28, 2011 Rare Disease Day, look at busy from another perspective. There is two types of busy. One we control and one is beyond our control. Hundreds of rare disease patients, similar to Michael, have very little say in how they are forced to be busy with rare disease treatments such as dialysis and how the disease controls them and large portions of their lives. On the other hand, most types of busy are in our control, putting us in the driver’s seat setting the pace, which gives the opportunity to question, is my busy pace at the right speed, allowing it to be the gift that it is?

Sitting in the front seat co-piloting the life of our son Michael, a rare disease hero, I was involved in an “out of our control” busy, which provided a renewed outlook on a busy day. Watching Michael live and die from a rare disease transformed my busy way of thinking into a more truthful reality.

You can read inspirational stories about other rare disease patients at Inspire in recognition of Rare Disease Day 2011. These stories contain transforming words.

In honor of all the R.A.R.E. patients and their families who are currently very, very busy thank you for reminding us what busy really means. It’s important to never be to busy to Be The Change.