On a morning when you're feeling unwell, a thought to remember first: 'Even so, your body is working for you today.'

When you are dealing with chronic illness, your consciousness inevitably turns toward what is 'missing'.

I don't have the physical strength to move like I used to.
There is no time without pain.
There are no nights where I can sleep soundly.
There are no days I can spend without worry.

That is only natural.
When suffering persists, people become sensitive to what is lacking.
What has been lost, what has become difficult, what used to be done with ease.
Inevitably, our eyes are drawn to those things.

I believe such movements of the heart are very natural.
That is why I do not want to simply say, 'Let's be positive.'
Pain is pain, and suffering is suffering.
You cannot simply pretend that the hardship does not exist.

Even so, there is one thing I would like to tell you today.
It is to try, just as much as you focus on what is 'missing,' to quietly turn your eyes toward what is 'present'.

For example, even at this very moment, your heart is beating.
Even without you being conscious of it, it continues to pulse without rest.
Your lungs are taking on the task of breathing.
Even while you sleep, even on days when you feel down, even on mornings when you have no motivation, they are working for you in silence.

Your stomach and intestines are also digesting what you have eaten, absorbing what is necessary, and trying to expel what is not.
Your muscles, bones, blood vessels, and nerves may not be perfect.
Perhaps you are carrying pain or discomfort.
Even so, your body continues the work of 'living' today.

When you are unwell, your body can sometimes feel like an enemy.
Why won't it move the way I want it to?
Why is it so painful?
We may feel disappointed in our own bodies, get angry at them, or even feel betrayed by them at times.

But in reality, your body might have been fighting all along.
Not to trouble you, but to protect you.
Inflammation, pain, and fatigue are not pleasant things.
However, hidden deep within those reactions is the body's own desperate attempt to say, 'So that it doesn't break any further.'

Thinking of it this way changes the way you look at your body just a little.
Instead of seeing it as a 'body that isn't working properly,'
you begin to see it as a 'body that has carried me to this day, even while dealing with illness.'

This is not just a matter of mindset.
It is not comfort meant to distract you from reality.
It is not magic to erase pain, nor are these words meant to lighten symptoms in an instant.
It is simply a suggestion to shift where you place your heart.

If you keep focusing on what is 'missing,' your heart will wear down.
But if you also look at what is 'present,' you can notice the existence of what you have not lost.

You are able to breathe today.
Your blood is circulating.
Your eyes are open.
You are able to read this text.
You have lived this far.

That is by no means a small thing.

Days with illness are a series of struggles that are hard for others to see.
There are days when just appearing normal takes all your effort.
There are days when just finishing your planned tasks is your limit.
There may be nights when you blame yourself for not being able to do anything.

At times like that, I hope you can find time to look not at 'the parts that are still failing,'
but at 'the parts that are still working for you.'

When you wake up in the morning, just a few seconds is enough.
Place your hand on your chest and think of your heart, which is beating again today.
Inhale, exhale, and feel that your breathing continues.
It doesn't have to be zero pain.
It doesn't have to be full of energy.
Even if it isn't perfect, your body is trying to keep you alive today.

If you are currently in the midst of chronic illness, please do not forget.
Your body is not just something that has broken down.
Even if it seems clumsy or slow, it has continued to work to keep you alive up to this very moment.

It is okay to have days where your heart is stolen by what is 'missing.'
But I hope you will also place what is 'present' right beside it.

You have a body.
It is here, today.
And that body is quietly, desperately, continuing to support you.