Last week I attended a conference
held by a pharmaceutical company for leaders in the bleeding disorder
community. Many of the leaders were parents of a child with a bleeding disorder
such as hemophilia or von Willebrand’s. Others had the diseases themselves and
all were learning how to "tell their stories" in order to mentor and
inspire others living with the disease. These folks came from many different
backgrounds including ethnicities, geographical locations, and socio-economic
situations. Yet, we were all bound by two things in common: our resilience in
the face of medical adversity and our passion to help others cope well. It
was an amazing experience.
 |
| Photo by PhotoStock |
While working toward my masters degree, I was
reading from a Walsh’s text “Strengthening Family Resilience” at the time of the
conference. Everything that I was reading I was witnessing right in front of my eyes.
For example, on page 7 she says: “As researchers have discovered, resilience is
forged through adversity not despite it. Life crises and hardship can bring out
the best in us as we rise to meet the challenges.” She quotes a study on
resilient adults by Higgins (1994) that showed they “became more substantial
because they were sorely tested, endured suffering, and emerged with
strengths they might not have developed otherwise. They experienced things more
deeply and intensely, and placed a heightened value on life. Often this became
a wellspring for social activism, a commitment to helping others overcome their
adversities; in turn they experienced further growth through these
efforts." This was clearly apparent in the eyes and the hearts of the
courageous and amazing people I met within the bleeding disorder community - these are amazing people…
*********
Lisa C. Greene is the mother of two
children with cystic fibrosis, a certified parent coach, parenting educator,
and public speaker. She is also the co-author with Foster Cline, MD of the
award-winning Love and Logic® book “Parenting Children with
Health Issues.” For free audio, articles and other
resources, visit www.ParentingChildrenWithHealthIssues.com.
