Waiting isn't my strong suit. I do better however if I have a strategy -- what that means is where might I engage in life that brings satisfaction? That helps with the waiting. Waiting for a date or an event is fairly easy because you have some idea of what it is you're waiting for; and health matters, a more difficult kind of waiting. Waiting for the new administration in D.C., has really made me look at how and where I might engage in something satisfying to offset not only the waiting, but the dread that I feel.
I remind myself that we live in a world of duality. There's always good and there's always bad. What do we choose to focus on? It sounds simple, but isn't. May we all find the light that we need to guide our way and to help guide each other. We are stronger, unified.
Having a strategy definitely helps here, too. I keep reminding myself of that duality, and you're right, it's not as easy as it sounds to focus on the good when there's so much bad.
Thank you for your encouraging words. I appreciate you.
Part of me wants to keep waiting, but the longer I wait, the greater the anxiety becomes. Truth is, though, that anxiety isn't as great as it was between 2016 & 2020, so... yeah, waiting might be better.
Nancy, I’m sorry to hear you are grieving something and I know you will share if/when you are ready. Sending you and your husband hugs and love.
Dread is what I’ve been feeling going into this upcoming change in our country’s direction. We already have been headed in this direction for a while, but my fear is that no one with any ability to do something about it, will act to put the brakes on. Meaning Congress and the Supreme Court. It’s still hard for me to accept that my fellow citizens were willing to take this risk on another term for this horribly damaged and evil person.
I don’t want the next 4 years to fly by though, mostly because I want to enjoy every moment that I can- I think of my dogs getting older and 4 years from now they will be “old”. And of course enjoying making art.
I’m terrified for our country, really. I’m just trying not to think about it to the point where it disrupts my everyday living- that’s what I found myself doing from 2016-2020.
I’m wishing you all the best in 2025, regardless of what happens. Thank you for your writing and your prompts that always make me think.
As usual, your insights are so wise. I've been feeling plenty of dread of late. As soon as 2025 arrived, I realized "the waiting" was nearly over. Reality began to sink in again. I had blocked much of it out temporarily.
Like you, I am not going to let my feelings of disappointment in my fellow citizens and fear for what might happen to our democracy spoil how I live. I know good things are in store in the coming four years, too, and I intend to enjoy them.
2025 has started out dismally for me. I will share about it at some point. Right now it's too painful. Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate you. Hug and pet those two dogs of yours for me. All my best to you as well. x
Nancy, This is all so relatable. I am in the stage of I would rather keep waiting as well. I want to sit back and enjoy life for a bit without knowing. I think that is reasonable.
Well, there's still some time left to wait! We will find out soon enough what is going to happen. No matter what does, I'm grateful for a lot and plan to enjoy the good parts of the next four years. Thank you for reading and commenting, too. I appreciate you.
Hello Nancy - I'm sending you a big hug from Canada, with kind thoughts for you and your husband on the grief you're experiencing (and will tell us about when you're ready.
I loved listening to your voice reading this thoughtful essay - which is so relevant to all patients, no matter the diagnosis.
I waited for my cardiac symptoms to go away after I was misdiagnosed with acid reflux in the Emergency Department (symptoms that oddly enough, did not respond to handfuls of Tums and Gaviscon for two weeks). Then when my textbook symptoms didn't go away - and then worsened - I waited to return to that Emerg department because I did not want to be embarrassed once again by making a fuss over nothing.
I waited during my mother's 80th birthday weekend to mention how sick I was - decided not to say anything to any of my family that whole time (wouldn't want to ruin her special celebration!) Just pasted on my happy-face smile as best I could.
My readers who are living with a hard-to-diagnose rare disease tell me that even a bad news diagnosis can feel better than waiting and not knowing at all what's happening. When they wait and wait for a correct diagnosis, there can be no correct treatment plan - often for years.
It is so good to hear from you. Thank you for saying you liked the audio! You're the first one who's ever mentioned liking one. Of course, I don't do them regularly.
You did quite a lot of waiting back when you were first experiencing symptoms. And the fact you were misdiagnosed with acid reflux certainly didn't help you to get the care you needed and deserved. Such a shame. And yeah, I hear you on not wanting to spoil your mother's birthday. Gotta keep smiling...
I understand what those readers sometimes tell you. Sometimes even a bad news diagnosis can feel better than not knowing and waiting forever just to be believed.
Thank you for your kind words about the grief my husband and I are experiencing. I will share about it when I'm ready. I appreciate that big hug, too. I appreciate YOU.
As we get closer to his inauguration, I’m getting more and more afraid of what is to come. I’m still sticking to my commitment of not watching any MSM, and just getting my news from AP News and reading the papers once in the morning and am still not going back to Twitter which has made a big difference in my anxiety levels but it’s going to be a difficult 4 years.
I stopped watching MSNBC and CNN except for Nicole Wallace from time to time. Now I get most of my news from local stations. They do a decent job of summarizing the day's national events anyway, plus I get coverage about local stuff. I'm still on X but not much. Same deal with FB. If I wasn't a writer and author trying to reach readers with my writing and yes, sell books, I'd ditch all the social platforms!
I'm glad you're doing whatever you need to do to keep your anxiety levels in check. No matter what we do though, the next four years will be challenging. I'm thankful for safe spaces like this one with readers like you.
Thank you for reading and taking time to comment. I appreciate you. My best to you in 2025. x
Your essay speaks volumes, and it really resonated with me. The political circus in this country makes me sick. And I feel the same emotions you mentioned regarding the new administration. I am still limiting my news intake, which helps. My goal for the next four years is not to see Trump speaking or doing anything. I can't stomach it.
Last time he was president, I just wanted the agonizing four years to be over already. I didn't want to wait four years. This time, however, I'm not going to try to rush time because time goes quickly enough. I don't want Trump to have that power over me, nor do I want to live in a constant state of despair.
I plan to continue painting and writing, as well as other things that feed my soul. I've had enormous trouble sleeping over the past few months, due to anxiety. I started reading Maggie Smith's Keep Moving every night before bed, and that has helped lately.
Regarding medical waiting, I'm a terrible waiter. First of all, waiting for a diagnosis sucked, as did waiting for a prognosis. And waiting for labs, everything. I tend to panic and then get depressed. And like a previous post you wrote, I assess other people in the same waiting room as me.
Right now, I am trying to get by one day at a time and trying not to get sucked in by the news.
Thank you so much for your sage words. Like you, I am not going to try to rush time in order to get through the next four years either. I know there will be joy in there, too, and I'm not going to miss that. I intend to limit my news watching, especially when Trump is on the screen or when the media is blatantly failing to do its job. Thank you again for your news diet suggestion a while back. It's really helped me!
We will all have to get through the challenges of the next four years one day at a time. Like always, right? I plan to write more, read more, walk more, and rest whenever I need to. I've had trouble sleeping on and off for a long time, so I hear you on that. I love that book of Maggie Smith's.
I'm so grateful for this space and dear readers/friends like you. Thank you for your support and kind words. I appreciate you. I'll be okay and will write about this rough patch when I'm ready. My best to you in 2025, my friend.
Nancy, I am so sorry to read that you are going through something, and I fully understand that you are still processing whatever you need to do to make your way forward. That is how I choose to look at the next four years. I am a little bit ashamed to say that I ACTIVELY DISLIKE Mr. Trump, but I refuse to allow him, or anyone, to affect my life to the point where I am mired in doom and gloom. I cannot allow that. I am gonna be joyful that I am here, and count my blessings every day. I am not goon watch the news obsessively, nor am I gonna replay all the stupidity that we know is inevitable. The people have had their say, whether we agree or not, and we must abide by the results of the election. Otherwise, we are no better than that man and his minions. That is not me, and I will do my best to live very day of the next four years, God willing, in a joyful and productive way. NO MATTER WHAT happens in Washington, D.C.! We shall overcome, my friends!
Your words about the next four years are inspiring me to try to do better. But I won't be silenced either about things I want to speak up about. We do not have to accept as normal or acceptable things that are not.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing, too. I appreciate you. My best to you in 2025!
My word for 2025 is “blessing “. I love that the word invites me to send a blessing to someone every day and also to recognize the blessings that come back. So for today, Nancy, I am sending you a blessing.
Nancy, I’m so sorry to read about your grief. Sending you best wishes.
I am also not wanting to return to the next administration— the first experience was horrible and this feels worse. I agree completely with Alene about not wanting to be miserable and while I accept that right now I can’t do anything to change the next administration, I sure don’t endorse it.
Waiting isn't my strong suit. I do better however if I have a strategy -- what that means is where might I engage in life that brings satisfaction? That helps with the waiting. Waiting for a date or an event is fairly easy because you have some idea of what it is you're waiting for; and health matters, a more difficult kind of waiting. Waiting for the new administration in D.C., has really made me look at how and where I might engage in something satisfying to offset not only the waiting, but the dread that I feel.
I remind myself that we live in a world of duality. There's always good and there's always bad. What do we choose to focus on? It sounds simple, but isn't. May we all find the light that we need to guide our way and to help guide each other. We are stronger, unified.
Thanks for a thoughtful essay.
Hi Stephanie,
Having a strategy definitely helps here, too. I keep reminding myself of that duality, and you're right, it's not as easy as it sounds to focus on the good when there's so much bad.
Thank you for your encouraging words. I appreciate you.
Part of me wants to keep waiting, but the longer I wait, the greater the anxiety becomes. Truth is, though, that anxiety isn't as great as it was between 2016 & 2020, so... yeah, waiting might be better.
Hi Liz,
Yeah, I hear you. Waiting sometimes isn't so bad. Thank you for reading and commenting. I appreciate you.
Nancy, I’m sorry to hear you are grieving something and I know you will share if/when you are ready. Sending you and your husband hugs and love.
Dread is what I’ve been feeling going into this upcoming change in our country’s direction. We already have been headed in this direction for a while, but my fear is that no one with any ability to do something about it, will act to put the brakes on. Meaning Congress and the Supreme Court. It’s still hard for me to accept that my fellow citizens were willing to take this risk on another term for this horribly damaged and evil person.
I don’t want the next 4 years to fly by though, mostly because I want to enjoy every moment that I can- I think of my dogs getting older and 4 years from now they will be “old”. And of course enjoying making art.
I’m terrified for our country, really. I’m just trying not to think about it to the point where it disrupts my everyday living- that’s what I found myself doing from 2016-2020.
I’m wishing you all the best in 2025, regardless of what happens. Thank you for your writing and your prompts that always make me think.
Hi Alene,
As usual, your insights are so wise. I've been feeling plenty of dread of late. As soon as 2025 arrived, I realized "the waiting" was nearly over. Reality began to sink in again. I had blocked much of it out temporarily.
Like you, I am not going to let my feelings of disappointment in my fellow citizens and fear for what might happen to our democracy spoil how I live. I know good things are in store in the coming four years, too, and I intend to enjoy them.
2025 has started out dismally for me. I will share about it at some point. Right now it's too painful. Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate you. Hug and pet those two dogs of yours for me. All my best to you as well. x
Thank you, Nancy and wishing you well.
Nancy, This is all so relatable. I am in the stage of I would rather keep waiting as well. I want to sit back and enjoy life for a bit without knowing. I think that is reasonable.
Hi Pamela,
Well, there's still some time left to wait! We will find out soon enough what is going to happen. No matter what does, I'm grateful for a lot and plan to enjoy the good parts of the next four years. Thank you for reading and commenting, too. I appreciate you.
Hello Nancy - I'm sending you a big hug from Canada, with kind thoughts for you and your husband on the grief you're experiencing (and will tell us about when you're ready.
I loved listening to your voice reading this thoughtful essay - which is so relevant to all patients, no matter the diagnosis.
I waited for my cardiac symptoms to go away after I was misdiagnosed with acid reflux in the Emergency Department (symptoms that oddly enough, did not respond to handfuls of Tums and Gaviscon for two weeks). Then when my textbook symptoms didn't go away - and then worsened - I waited to return to that Emerg department because I did not want to be embarrassed once again by making a fuss over nothing.
I waited during my mother's 80th birthday weekend to mention how sick I was - decided not to say anything to any of my family that whole time (wouldn't want to ruin her special celebration!) Just pasted on my happy-face smile as best I could.
My readers who are living with a hard-to-diagnose rare disease tell me that even a bad news diagnosis can feel better than waiting and not knowing at all what's happening. When they wait and wait for a correct diagnosis, there can be no correct treatment plan - often for years.
Excellent essay, and so timely for all of us.
xoxo
Hi Carolyn,
It is so good to hear from you. Thank you for saying you liked the audio! You're the first one who's ever mentioned liking one. Of course, I don't do them regularly.
You did quite a lot of waiting back when you were first experiencing symptoms. And the fact you were misdiagnosed with acid reflux certainly didn't help you to get the care you needed and deserved. Such a shame. And yeah, I hear you on not wanting to spoil your mother's birthday. Gotta keep smiling...
I understand what those readers sometimes tell you. Sometimes even a bad news diagnosis can feel better than not knowing and waiting forever just to be believed.
Thank you for your kind words about the grief my husband and I are experiencing. I will share about it when I'm ready. I appreciate that big hug, too. I appreciate YOU.
As we get closer to his inauguration, I’m getting more and more afraid of what is to come. I’m still sticking to my commitment of not watching any MSM, and just getting my news from AP News and reading the papers once in the morning and am still not going back to Twitter which has made a big difference in my anxiety levels but it’s going to be a difficult 4 years.
Claudia,
I stopped watching MSNBC and CNN except for Nicole Wallace from time to time. Now I get most of my news from local stations. They do a decent job of summarizing the day's national events anyway, plus I get coverage about local stuff. I'm still on X but not much. Same deal with FB. If I wasn't a writer and author trying to reach readers with my writing and yes, sell books, I'd ditch all the social platforms!
I'm glad you're doing whatever you need to do to keep your anxiety levels in check. No matter what we do though, the next four years will be challenging. I'm thankful for safe spaces like this one with readers like you.
Thank you for reading and taking time to comment. I appreciate you. My best to you in 2025. x
Hi Nancy,
I'm so sorry you are going through a tough time.
Your essay speaks volumes, and it really resonated with me. The political circus in this country makes me sick. And I feel the same emotions you mentioned regarding the new administration. I am still limiting my news intake, which helps. My goal for the next four years is not to see Trump speaking or doing anything. I can't stomach it.
Last time he was president, I just wanted the agonizing four years to be over already. I didn't want to wait four years. This time, however, I'm not going to try to rush time because time goes quickly enough. I don't want Trump to have that power over me, nor do I want to live in a constant state of despair.
I plan to continue painting and writing, as well as other things that feed my soul. I've had enormous trouble sleeping over the past few months, due to anxiety. I started reading Maggie Smith's Keep Moving every night before bed, and that has helped lately.
Regarding medical waiting, I'm a terrible waiter. First of all, waiting for a diagnosis sucked, as did waiting for a prognosis. And waiting for labs, everything. I tend to panic and then get depressed. And like a previous post you wrote, I assess other people in the same waiting room as me.
Right now, I am trying to get by one day at a time and trying not to get sucked in by the news.
Hang in there. Xo
Hi Beth,
Thank you so much for your sage words. Like you, I am not going to try to rush time in order to get through the next four years either. I know there will be joy in there, too, and I'm not going to miss that. I intend to limit my news watching, especially when Trump is on the screen or when the media is blatantly failing to do its job. Thank you again for your news diet suggestion a while back. It's really helped me!
We will all have to get through the challenges of the next four years one day at a time. Like always, right? I plan to write more, read more, walk more, and rest whenever I need to. I've had trouble sleeping on and off for a long time, so I hear you on that. I love that book of Maggie Smith's.
I'm so grateful for this space and dear readers/friends like you. Thank you for your support and kind words. I appreciate you. I'll be okay and will write about this rough patch when I'm ready. My best to you in 2025, my friend.
Nancy, I am so sorry to read that you are going through something, and I fully understand that you are still processing whatever you need to do to make your way forward. That is how I choose to look at the next four years. I am a little bit ashamed to say that I ACTIVELY DISLIKE Mr. Trump, but I refuse to allow him, or anyone, to affect my life to the point where I am mired in doom and gloom. I cannot allow that. I am gonna be joyful that I am here, and count my blessings every day. I am not goon watch the news obsessively, nor am I gonna replay all the stupidity that we know is inevitable. The people have had their say, whether we agree or not, and we must abide by the results of the election. Otherwise, we are no better than that man and his minions. That is not me, and I will do my best to live very day of the next four years, God willing, in a joyful and productive way. NO MATTER WHAT happens in Washington, D.C.! We shall overcome, my friends!
Hi Lynda,
Your words about the next four years are inspiring me to try to do better. But I won't be silenced either about things I want to speak up about. We do not have to accept as normal or acceptable things that are not.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing, too. I appreciate you. My best to you in 2025!
My word for 2025 is “blessing “. I love that the word invites me to send a blessing to someone every day and also to recognize the blessings that come back. So for today, Nancy, I am sending you a blessing.
Hi Christine,
What a lovely word you've chosen. Thank you so much for sending me such a warm blessing. I appreciate you. My best to you in 2025.
Nancy, I’m so sorry to read about your grief. Sending you best wishes.
I am also not wanting to return to the next administration— the first experience was horrible and this feels worse. I agree completely with Alene about not wanting to be miserable and while I accept that right now I can’t do anything to change the next administration, I sure don’t endorse it.
Hi Jan,
I'm still disappointed and horrified we will have another Trump presidency. But here we are...
Thank you so very much for your kind words. I appreciate you.