"Dear Me" letter

Dear Me,

I don't know if I'm addressing this letter to myself, or to my illness - dear 'me' or dear ME? So intertwined have I become with my condition, and I know it has influenced my personality.

Anyway, me, whoever you are. A new year is a new start, of course, but so is every new day. Every time I fall down, I get up and start again. I'm good at starting again - I just don't manage to finish anything. So that's my resolve this year - to finish the home-study courses I started over the last couple of years. I also intend to finish my book. I have the whole thing mapped out in notes, and I'm putting off the daunting task of putting my story into prose.

Every year so far, I have put something about gettting my housework and paperwork in order. I despair of the chaos that surrounds me, and it depresses me. However, setting such an impossible target can only lead to failure - infinately more depressing. This year, I have decided to just do my best and finish what I've started (cue song). If I manage to make any progress with the housework and/or filing, then I can reguard that as a bonus and be proud of myself.

Now then, me, listen carefully. Do my best by all means, but don't push too hard. Every time I feel half-way to well, I go full steam ahead at some task and land myself on my back. This year, go steady. No more than two hours at a time in any task, however light. Two hours up, 30 minutes rest. And by rest, I mean REST. Not knitting, not writing, not doing anything. Well, reading if I must, but nothing requiring too much concentration. I have had this for eleven years, I think it's about time to start learning to live with it!

And finally, me, I simply must stop being so utterly self-centred. Make more of an effort to do things for others, and spend less time thinking about myself. My diary has fallen off recently - a good sign I think. Then again, this letter could be considered a backward step...

Oh well, just this once I'll let me off. This brings me to my absolutly last resolution - forgive myself for not being able to keep all my resolutions!

Here's to 2008!

Love from Me