MS and stress

Doing less will not help me either.  If i get cut out of things that bring value to my life i loose any hope for being worthwhile and still valuable. My family keeps trying to take this away from me.  I have lived away from my father and mother for 22 years, 14 of those out of state and with little contact.  I have 4 older siblings (7-12 years my senior) that were grown and gone from my life by the time I was 12.  They have had little to no contact with me at that point.  These are the folks trying to assess me now.  They don't talk to me, I just hear whispers of hearsay conversations and suggestions of the judgements.  "I should just stop doing so much", "i should just stay out of it".  "Don't involve Leighann, she is too fragile", "her health is not stable".  "Stress is not good for her", "we shouldn't ask her to help".  It has been said in so many ways about so many situations.  well here it is folks!  I NEED to be involved. If you want to protect me and /or help me then get involved and do something helpful. don't just offer opinions of how helpless or wrong I am.
I need to be needed. I need to be valued as more than just a placemat, 1 of 9.  I need to work. I need to have input.  I need to share.  I still have talents, opinions and insight.  This damn disease has made me stronger that you will ever know.  You are missing out on me and all that I can offer.


* I have covenants with God to my husband and children we created and raise together they are my priority forever and always.
*I have a responsibility to Honor my Parents, that I am bound to obey as I promised to at baptism.
*I have no covenants to my siblings in these same ways.

Please make an effort to understand and be kind.
Honor my roll and my wish to uphold my earthly commitments and Temple Covenants

Stress is not good for me, true, but it is also not avoidable either.  I must learn to deal with it and put it aside appropriately.  Don't protect me from it, because you don't really know what stresses me out, you don't really know me.  I know you mean well, at least i think you do.  When you get stressed out about something what helps you overcome or walk through it? doing nothing?  giving power away to someone else? give up?

I am not a naturally selfish person.  I probably give a lot more than i need to.  well folks that is because that is what the Savior taught.  He served His whole life, giving more than He received.  I am striving to be most like Him and if it takes me down faster or a little sooner than most, its okay.  I know where I'm going and that just means I've actually given all my talents to the building up the kingdom of God, honored my temple covenants to my husband and children and even my baptismal covenants of honoring my father and mother.