Wednesday 29 July 2015

Green spaces for ME

 I keep reading articles about how studies have shown that having access to gardens and other green spaces helps people to cope - and I agree.

Yet, when I read some ME articles, these comments are usually intertwined with our need to remove stress from our lives so that we can recover! That is less easy to agree with.

Take this recent conversation - I was told;

"If you would just take time to appreciate the goodness in your life, your recovery would quickly follow." 

I suspect this lady, was allowing her pre-conceived notions about ME to cloud her impressions of me.  She certainly didn't know much about my life.

Anyway, I'm proud to say, I was very "zen" about this interchange.  I was not up for a debate in that moment, so I took a deep breath and then let it go!

You see I love green spaces and am very appreciative that my personal situation allows me so much access to nature.  Indeed, one of the main reasons I took to using a scooter so early in my illness, was to be able to get outside more.

But neither the "appreciation" nor the "green spaces" are going to cure me of ME!

It's just that being outside is such a nice place to be.


Immersing ourselves in nature allows us to leave some of our struggles behind as we just lie back and watch:

- the wind
- the clouds
- the trees
- the birds
- the bees
- and all the rest of nature

. . . as nature carries on  regardless of us, and our struggles.