{"id":2147,"date":"2016-11-07T21:52:32","date_gmt":"2016-11-07T21:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=2147"},"modified":"2016-11-05T22:27:16","modified_gmt":"2016-11-05T22:27:16","slug":"pain-illness-and-our-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2016\/11\/pain-illness-and-our-vote.html","title":{"rendered":"Pain, Illness, and Our Vote"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image
Image Courtesy of Michael\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Is your chronic pain or illness discouraging you from casting your vote?\u00a0I hope you’ll reconsider. Yes, some polling places might be difficult to maneuver through and the lines will probably be long. But there are very good reasons to make the personal sacrifice necessary to go to the polls and let our\u00a0voices be heard. \u00a0And there is help, too.<\/p>\n

Voting is one of the greatest privileges we have in this country. Each time we do it, we affirm our voice in the electoral process. Our vote counts, and not merely as a number in the overall tally, especially if we live with serious health issues.<\/p>\n

Illness and pain can make us feel disconnected from society. Voting gives us the opportunity to fully participate in the political process. Also, it\u00a0enables us to to look at the issues that actively shape our world. \u00a0Often, when I read my voting materials, I learn much more than if I’d watched a newscast.<\/p>\n

Voting engages us in accommodations <\/a>established specifically so that it is physically possible for us to vote. For example, polling places\u00a0are equipped with tools\u00a0for blind voters who cannot read ballots. Help is available for mobility challenged voters who cannot stand in long lines. This week, I reached out to local voting personnel with a question about specific accommodations. I received a prompt and kind email with a perfect\u00a0solution to my particular situation.\u00a0All we have to do is ask.<\/p>\n

I have lived through many elections, some of which have been very contentious. Sometimes,\u00a0issues that I did not particularly appreciate required much of my time so that I could understand them. Still others involved candidates that did not make me cheer. Yet, I voted.<\/p>\n

I voted because I have faith that one election season does not a life make. One term in office or bond issue does not necessarily spell financial fitness or lack thereof for decades. But one vote cast contributes to the overall continuity of our country’s history. And because we do brave the pain and the discomfort to vote, we show just how strong our one vote is.<\/p>\n

I have faith in the overall process that allows our voices to be heard, even if I might not agree with the outcomes of a particular election. I also have faith that life will go on after Tuesday, and we will have other opportunities to participate in the process. But for now, when I vote, I will pray for wisdom, and I will give thanks to God for the ability to cast my ballot.<\/p>\n

May God bless America!<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n

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

Is your chronic pain or illness discouraging you from casting your vote?\u00a0I hope you’ll reconsider. Yes, some polling places might be difficult to maneuver through and the lines will probably be long. But there are very good reasons to make the personal sacrifice necessary to go to the polls and let our\u00a0voices be heard. \u00a0And…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,1242,4,1047,578,95,1,1246],"tags":[2234,2233,2232,2142],"class_list":["post-2147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-encouragement-in-life","category-food-for-thought","category-words-of-encouragemnent-and-info-for-all","category-good","category-goodness","category-prayers","category-uncategorized","category-uplifting","tag-cast-your-vote","tag-chronic-illness-and-the-vote","tag-disability-accommodation-on-election-day","tag-election-day"],"yoast_head":"\nPain, Illness, and Our Vote - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Worried that your pain or chronic illness will make it too difficult to vote? 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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\/2147","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=2147"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2149,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2147\/revisions\/2149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}