What if the little things we dismiss are actually the first signs our bodies need our attention?
Have you ever reached the bottom of a page only to realize you have no idea what you just read?
So, you go back and read it again.
And maybe...again.
Or maybe you've been listening to someone talk when you suddenly realize you haven't heard a single thing they said.
Most of us have experienced moments like these.
When they happen, it's easy to brush them off. We tell ourselves we're distracted, forgetful, or that we just need another cup of coffee. Sometimes we even get frustrated with ourselves for not being able to focus.
I've certainly been there.
In fact, I've joked for years that I have "Some-timers." You know...sometimes I remember and sometimes I don't.
Other days, I blame it on CRS—Can't Remember Sh...Stuff. (Okay...that's not really what the "S" stands for!)
Humor has always been one of the ways I've coped with living with Multiple Sclerosis. Sometimes it's easier to laugh than it is to get frustrated.
But beneath the jokes, I've started noticing something.
There are days when I read the same paragraph three or four times before it finally sinks in. There are moments when my husband, Rob, is telling me something, and halfway through I realize I haven't absorbed a word he just said.
Not because I wasn't interested. Not because I didn't care. My brain had simply checked out for a moment.
So, I smile and ask him to repeat everything. Again.
Living with Multiple Sclerosis has certainly taught me that these moments happen more often than I'd like. But over time, I've realized this isn't just an MS lesson.
It's a human one.
For years, I laughed these moments off or tried to push through them.
Now, I see them differently.
Maybe they weren't failures. Maybe they were whispers.
What It Made Me Notice
The forgotten word wasn't the first whisper. It was simply the first one I noticed.
The more I paid attention, the more I realized these moments were rarely random.
Looking back, I could usually trace them to something.
Maybe I'd been sleeping poorly.
Maybe I'd been rushing through one busy day after another.
Maybe I hadn't had enough water.
Maybe I'd been pushing through fatigue because there was just one more thing I wanted to accomplish.
Those moments weren't the problem. They were an invitation to become curious.
That realization changed the questions I asked.
Instead of asking, "Why can't I remember anything today?"
I started asking, "What happened before this?"
A New Way to Look at It
I'm beginning to think we spend too much time reacting to our bodies and not enough time noticing them.
We wait until we're completely exhausted before we rest.
We wait until we're overwhelmed before we admit we've been carrying too much.
We wait until our bodies have no choice but to raise their voices.
What if we learned to notice the whispers before they became shouts?
Not because every forgotten word means something serious.
Not because every tired afternoon needs an explanation.
But because our bodies deserve the same curiosity, we'd offer a good friend.
Sometimes the answer is more rest.
Sometimes it's more water.
Sometimes it's a nourishing meal, a walk outside, or permission to let tomorrow's to-do list wait until tomorrow.
And sometimes...
our bodies are simply reminding us that we're human.
I've learned that curiosity almost always leads to better care than criticism ever could.
One Small Step This Week
This week, notice one whisper.
Not to fix it.
Simply to notice it.
The next time you catch yourself rereading a paragraph, forgetting a word, or asking someone to repeat themselves, pause before brushing it off.
Take a slow breath.
Then ask yourself,
"What happened before this?"
You don't have to solve everything today.
You don't have to have all the answers.
Just become a little more curious.
You may discover that the forgotten word wasn't the first whisper.
It was simply the first one you noticed.
Sometimes understanding our bodies doesn't begin with a big breakthrough. Sometimes it begins by noticing a whisper.
Repeat these positive affirmations to yourself...
* I am resilient and can overcome life's challenges.
* I am strong and have the power to make the right choices for me.
* I am grateful for what I can do.
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