{"id":910,"date":"2013-11-09T23:17:00","date_gmt":"2013-11-09T23:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=910"},"modified":"2013-11-07T23:30:15","modified_gmt":"2013-11-07T23:30:15","slug":"seeking-a-mentor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2013\/11\/seeking-a-mentor.html","title":{"rendered":"Seeking a Mentor"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maureen<\/a>When I was first diagnosed with lupus, I asked my doctor if she thought that joining a support group would be a good idea for me. She hesitated, then said, “No. There will be people who are depressed, negative, and very, very ill. You don’t need that kind of atmosphere.”<\/p>\n

I was surprised. From what I had heard prior to my diagnosis, patient support groups were good places, where people could seek support, encouragement, and information.<\/p>\n

A few weeks later, with my flare raging and all sorts of emotions and questions swirling in my head and heart, I located a support group for lupus patients and went, a little scared, to a meeting tucked in a community room at a local mall. There were two patients who were negative, angry, and who painted an awful picture of my future life with lupus. But, there was also the group leader – a positive, gentle, encouraging woman who had battled many awful flares, but whose spirit had not suffered. She took me under her wing, and we’ve been friends ever since. Most special, she has been a tremendous mentor as my life with the disease has unfurled.<\/p>\n

Distinctive from being merely a friend, a mentor is, ideally, someone with more experience, cultivated wisdom, and the desire to assist others who are not quite as far along in their health journeys. \u00a0He or she is the person to whom you can go with the “what do I do now?” or “how do I sort this out?” questions that inevitably arise. \u00a0A mentor is a marvel! And a true treasure.<\/p>\n

I’m glad that I went to that support group. I totally understand what my doctor meant by discouraging me from going, but if I hadn’t made the effort, I would not have found the mentor who’s been so very, very wonderful.<\/p>\n

Whatever stage of your health-challenged journey, keep your eyes open for that special person who has been where you are, understands, and is willing and eager to give you just the inspiration – of a human kind – that you need. You’ll be so glad you did!<\/p>\n

Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n

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

When I was first diagnosed with lupus, I asked my doctor if she thought that joining a support group would be a good idea for me. She hesitated, then said, “No. There will be people who are depressed, negative, and very, very ill. You don’t need that kind of atmosphere.” I was surprised. 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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\/910","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=910"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":911,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/910\/revisions\/911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}