{"id":2120,"date":"2016-09-18T22:18:58","date_gmt":"2016-09-18T22:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=2120"},"modified":"2016-09-15T22:37:19","modified_gmt":"2016-09-15T22:37:19","slug":"chronic-illness-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2016\/09\/chronic-illness-politics.html","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Illness and Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image
Image courtesy of bigjom\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many years ago, when I lived near our Nation’s capital, I had emerged from a polling place on Election Day and a busload of foreign journalists piled out of it. They were covering the current Presidential election, a heated race (as many have been and are). A few of the reporters circled around me and one of them, in halting English, said, “Did…you…just…vote?”<\/p>\n

“Yes,” I replied.<\/p>\n

More reporters circled around.<\/p>\n

“Who did you vote for?” Another reporter asked me.<\/p>\n

“I’m not going to say,” I answered.<\/p>\n

“No?” A few said, seeming to look startled. “Why not?”<\/p>\n

Now, a television crew\u00a0had arrived and pointed their camera my way! \u00a0I couldn’t imagine what far-off television program might end up with the footage, but looked upon the whole scene as an opportunity.<\/p>\n

“This is the United States of America,” I said patiently. “We don’t have to say who we will vote for, nor who we have voted for. Our vote is private and entirely our own.”<\/p>\n

“Oh. \u00a0Oh.” The first reporter nodded, but still looked puzzled. \u00a0“What do you think of this kind of system?”<\/p>\n

I smiled. “I love it. I absolutely love it.”<\/p>\n

The reporters seemed satisfied with this, and in a blink, they and the camera crew moved on to another voter.<\/p>\n

I think of this now that I’ve lived with the stresses of multiple chronic illnesses, the ups and downs of a personal life that needs calm but sometimes gets more upheaval due to illness than is healthy. Through many election cycles, now, I’ve tried to avoid the added stresses that come with engaging attention on external conflict – and campaign seasons bring more than their share of this! \u00a0So, I’ve stuck to my response, as broadcast somewhere long ago – I will vote, but I don’t have to say for whom. Not before, and not after. And I don’t have to get swept up in the heightened drama, angst, or conflict that’s swirling about in the news and elsewhere up to and through November. Simply, I prefer to preserve my inner calm, protect my stress-sensitive health, and fill my mind and heart with good things, Godly things, and thus not backslide because of external pressures.<\/p>\n

There are good friends with whom I discuss the current state of “the race for the White House” and other political concerns. But more important to me is that everyone know where I stand on faith, Jesus, Scripture, and the importance of prayer and church. This is the aim, after all, of a life focused on God. And\u00a0believe me, it makes for much less stress and much more grace!<\/p>\n

Peace,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.maureenpratt.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/author\/mpratt"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/548"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2120"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2121,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120\/revisions\/2121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}