"On hope and illness"

I wrote this for the new website I just set up. Please check it out here


Having an illness reminds us of the fragility, sacredness, and brokenness of life. With illness, we learn that we are not invincible and nor are those we love. When you have been diagnosed with a life-changing illness, that illness becomes like a pair of shoes that you wear to walk in on the path of life. Sometimes the shoes can pinch your toes and make walking difficult and painful. Sometimes the shoes fit perfectly and your walk is comfortable and carefree. But it is important to remember that the shoes are on your feet, and not on your face. One who walks in a bad pair of shoes still has the choice to walk with a smile on his or her face. Similarly, our illness affects our physical body…but we have a choice on how it can affect our response to life. 

Walking down the path of life with an illness is a serious but hopeful journey. Sometimes your illness redirects your path. Sometimes you are walking on steady ground and sometimes it is rocky. Hope encourages us to continue moving forward even though we do not know where we are going. 

Hope is finding joy in waiting for that which we do not know or are uncertain about. Hope is our comfort when we are waiting for test results, waiting for appointments, waiting for symptoms to subside, waiting for healing, waiting for a cure… 

Having hope means that we know there are people who care about us. Having hope means that we promise ourselves that we will never give up even when others have already done so. Having hope means that we will always look for a detour when we reach a dead end. 

To hope means that we will try again until we succeed. To hope is to believe that we can be the exception to the statistics. To hope is to trust in something that has not yet happened. 

Hope knows that not everything has the perfect answer. Hope knows that tears are part of every difficult journey. 

Hope encourages us to take the next step. Hope encourages us to persevere. Hope encourages us to give hope to others. 

Hope is a light that shines on moments of darkness when you get a bad test result, when your illness flares up, when symptoms get worse. Hope is the power within you to control how you will respond to life’s circumstances. 

Hope holds hands with love and joy. Hope stands up to pessimism and fear. Hope says “yes” when everyone else says “never.” Hope does not believe in the impossible. 

When doubtful questions arise, hope is the answer. 

During your journey down the path of life, let hope guide your footsteps. 

Lessons from a Butterfly

When people think of butterflies, they often think of it flying about with its colourful wings, reflecting the rays of sunlight. People rarely think about the steps the butterfly took to get where it is now…the time spent in the cocoon, incubated in darkness, waiting to be fully formed so it can be strong enough to fly. Maya Angelou says, "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."

Every butterfly started out as a caterpillar…and many inspirational stories of hope have their beginnings in a time of darkness, pain, suffering. So what then can we learn from the butterfly?

Incubating in Darkness

Susan Monk Kidd wrote in When the Heart Waits, "To incubate means to create the conditions necessary for development." Such conditions include darkness. Kidd states that darkness is crucial to the process of incubating a new form of life, for it to grow and emerge. Even babies are incubated in darkness in the womb while they wait for birth. Therefore, waiting in darkness does not have to symbolise a terrible process. We can be grateful for this period because this darkness has created conditions necessary for our development and growth.

If you have read my previous post on "Growing from Pain," you can see how darkness in one's life can actually be a positive thing. This time of waiting in the dark can be spent waiting on God to change you and develop you to be the person He wants you to be to further His purpose.

I have waited during several periods of darkness in my life. My greatest period of darkness was when I had just turned 18 years old. I had just been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, and several months later, I was cast off by my immediate family because of stressful family issues. I was eager to start university in the fall of 2006 at the same time of my peers, but I was not yet ready. My stamina was still not up to par. My heart was still healing. My wings were not fully formed. I emerged from my cocoon in January 2007, after my period of waiting and being incubated in darkness, and found that I emerged at the perfect time to attend the university where God wanted me to attend so I can meet the friends He wanted me to meet. During my first semester of college in spring 2007, my wings were strong and agile. I got a part-time job, a leadership position, enrolled in a fitness class, and found the heart to agree to meet my biological father.

My next period of darkness occurred when I was 23, a couple months shortly after I just got married. My illness had flared up for the second time that year, and I was frustrated and angry at God, wondering why He couldn't let me live a normal life.

But I think God was saying, "I want more than a 'normal' life for you. I want you to develop a heart of compassion. I want you to use again the gift of writing I had given to you. I want you to reach out to the broken and hurting people and give them hope…hope that I can give you while you are waiting in your darkness."

"Like the butterfly, I have the strength and the hope to believe, in time I will emerge from my cocoon…Transformed."

There is a parable about a man who found a butterfly cocoon and decided to save it. One day a small opening appeared, and the man watched as the butterfly struggled to force its body through the little hole. After a while, it seemed like the butterfly could not make any more progress. The man then took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily.

However, it emerged with a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. Although it had emerged from the cocoon, it was unable to fly because the wings were not fully formed.

The moral of this story is that although he had good intentions, the man did not understand that the butterfly was not yet ready to emerge from the cocoon. It needed its struggles in the cocoon to make it stronger so that it can fully form its wings. The incubation in darkness was creating the conditions necessary to ready its wings so that it can take flight once it emerged from the cocoon.

If we try to break out of our cocoon too soon, we may emerge with shriveled wings and are unable to reach our full potential because we were impatient during our time of waiting.

Patience has never been one of my strongest virtues. I am still "waiting" in my cocoon right now. A couple months ago, I was filling out an application for the Master's in Social Work program at the University of Washington. I figured that since I was not able to attend my MSW program the year before because of my illness, I can try again. But then I realized, as much as I have the right intentions and the desire to attend graduate school - I was not ready yet. My medications were still not stable. My stamina was still not to par. My wings were not yet fully formed. I was still waiting on God to create the right conditions so that when I emerge, I can fly easily and freely. Today, I trust God that when I do finally emerge from my cocoon - my time spent incubated in darkness will have given me fully formed wings for His purpose.

Many Christians also see the butterfly as a "symbol of hope" as it characterizes the process of disappearing into the cocoon and appearing dead, and then emerging into a beautiful and more powerful creature than before. Like the butterfly, when we emerge from our cocoons, we can trust that we will be stronger than before. The transformation completed during the incubation in darkness has enabled us to fly freely and show off our beautiful colours.

Where are you in life right now? Are you spending your time, incubated in darkness, waiting on God to transform you? Are you struggling to break out of your cocoon?

So whether you are waiting in a cocoon or flying around as a butterfly, relish the moment. Waiting in the cocoon is only preparing you for a stronger, more beautiful version of you. And if you are a butterfly, the colours formed on your wings reflect your lessons learned through your struggles during your time of incubation in darkness. 

"Welcome to Wherever You Are"

I was recently going through old Facebook notes I had published and found one where I had filled out a survey about what is going on in my life. It asked random questions like, "What is your hair like? Who do you have a crush on? Where do you live?"

It's interesting looking back on years past and comparing it to where I am today. Several years ago, I had imagined an entirely different life for me.

When I was 17 years old, I was planning on attending the University of Western Ontario and then eventually moving on to law school to become a criminal lawyer. I was very driven and determined…I figured this plan would be a cinch.

But then I got diagnosed with a rare neurological disease that debilitated me for several months. I ended up moving to the west coast - an unexpected change in plans. Then I wound up applying to a small Christian university - Trinity Western University. The initial plan was to stay there for my first semester, so I can slowly branch out and test myself at living a "normal life" on my own. I ended up loving it there, meeting new friends, changed my major three times to human services, and through friends - I eventually met my husband.

When my husband and I got married, we were planning on moving to Toronto where I was accepted into the social work program there. But at the end of our honeymoon, I got sick again. Once more, my illness was responsible for changing plans.

So my husband and I ended up staying here in the Seattle area. He found a great job and a new career track that he loves. I ended up being the "stay-at-home" wife - and actually liked it. I liked planning new baking projects, working on house projects, and writing encouraging blogs and providing online support to people with an illness via Facebook.

Plans change. Everyone knows that. I always wonder why God allowed for me to get sick again when I had such good intentions. I was hoping to become a medical social worker, and perhaps do my practicum at the only children's clinic for my illness in the world in Toronto. Instead, God brought me here. I am still not sure what I am supposed to be doing "here," - do I return to humans services? Am I making a difference in giving hope to people online? Do people at the hospital appreciate the free baked good I bring?

Bon Jovi sings in their song, "Welcome to wherever you are….You gotta believe, that right here right now, you're exactly where you're supposed to be."

So welcome to wherever you are. Maybe you are like me and you didn't end up where you thought you would be because of an illness, or something else discouraging. I believe that God can use any kind of circumstance for His purpose. Max Lucado wrote a small devotion about the "purpose of pain." That sometimes, people go through pain so that their faith and hope in God can be a witness to people who will be amazed at their peace in suffering. Max Lucado's father died from an illness, and while he was ill, his faith brought a man to Jesus. Max Lucado's father's suffering brought a soul to God which was priceless.

Maybe right now - wherever you are - you are waiting. I am currently waiting. I am waiting for a cure. I am waiting to get the right job. I am waiting to stop my chemotherapy. 

Brandon Heath says this in his song, "Wait and See."

Still wondering why I'm here

Still wrestling with my fear

But oh, He's up to something

And the farther on I go

I've seen enough to know

That I'm, not here for nothing

He's up to something

The apostle Paul intended to speak to the nations about Jesus. Instead of accepting Paul, the people imprisoned him and chained him to hinder his mission. He did not end up where he intended to be…but he was where God intended him to be, because in his prison while in chains, he was able to share his message to the prison guards there.

"Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. "

Philippians 1:12-14 

So wherever you are in life right now, it is not for nothing. God is with you wherever you go and can use you wherever you are.

Welcome to wherever you are.

"Living Forward"

Today I re-opened an old journal that I had written in a couple of years ago. When I was journaling, I had used it as a form of therapeutic venting…I would write about almost every moment of my life that I thought was interesting, and recount conversations with people that I wanted to remember. Reading these past entries was like going through a time machine and reliving those moments, remembering the exact feelings I had when certain events happened. I couldn't believe the entries that I had written about - all the time wasted on worries, unreturned feelings, and wondering about the future. If only I could have gone back in time and bopped myself on the head to get my act together, and told myself that everything will work out okay in the future.

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways" (1 Corinthians 13:11). After rereading these past entries, I can see that I still had childishness in my words, thoughts and reasoning. It took more trials, more challenges, and more questioning for me to grow up and put away childish ways.

In my human services class, one of our projects was to write a guided autobiography. This autobiography helped us to reflect back on significant periods in our life, how they played a role in shaping who we are today, and if there were any leftover ties to the past that needed to be severed, or feelings left unspoken that needed to be let out. It was while writing this autobiography that I was able to completely forgive the hurts from my childhood, learned how to move forward, and understand what inspired me or motivated me.

A marriage counselor once came to speak at my university, and I never forget the analogy that he used when he described counseling married couples. He said that all the hurts and bitterness that are left unresolved in each person's life are carried with them…like in a suitcase. Some people have really heavy suitcases filled with anger, resentment, and bitterness. When two people get married, their suitcases become one big suitcase…so that everything that was in their private suitcase are poured into the same bag. They walk around together carrying this accumulated baggage, and when problems arise in their marriage that don't go resolved - they add that to their baggage. And when they come to a marriage counselor for help, the marriage counselor has to rifle through all the items in their suitcase to be able to pinpoint the problem since they have brought over so much baggage from their personal suitcase. The key lesson was this: take care of your baggage before getting married, or else they will just add to your marital struggles or make them worse. 

After I heard this speaker, I made a personal promise to myself to take care of all my baggage. I was in a serious relationship at that time - to my future husband - and there were so many things in my life that were still left unresolved and unforgiven, and I didn't want to be heading towards a marriage and have my childish ways follow me. I wanted to move forward with my life, unencumbered by my past and open to a bright future. But living forward isn't a one-time process, living forward is a daily journey and a daily choice that we make to keep the past behind us, and the future ahead of us.

How to live forward?

1. Learn from the past, don't live in it.

Everyone has their own suitcase of hurt, anger, pain, and heartbreaking memories. Some people refuse to let their suitcase go, and it only becomes heavier everyday until they're struggling so much that they fall and can't get up. You can't run freely in life when you are carrying tons of baggage. It may take a lot of time, effort, and prayer to finally let go of your baggage, but when you do - the heart will feel so much lighter. The only thing from the past that you should be carrying is lessons learned.

If you have trouble giving your baggage away, just ask Jesus about it - He is always willing to trade baggage with you.

Matthew 11:28-30 “… Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

2. Become friends with forgiveness.

Forgiveness can be difficult for many people. For some, they have been hurt so many times that they don't believe in forgiveness anymore. Some people have made some shameful decisions that they can't forgive themselves. But for every person you haven't yet forgiven, that person is a heavy weight on your heart. Cartherine Ponder said, "When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free."

Maybe you think, "But that person hurt me so much! You don't understand. I can't possibly forgive that person!" Forgiving doesn't mean you have to restore a relationship, or even become friends with the person who hurt you - it means that you have forgiven the person and have let go of all feelings of revenge, malice, and anger about that person. You have given that person over to God for Him to judge in the future. When you forgive someone, you are saying, "I am not letting that person have an affect or a hold on me any longer. I am leaving that person to God to be judged in the future."

Some people want retribution right away for all the pain they had to go through, but revenge belongs to God (Romans 12:19), God's revenge will take care of anything left unpunished, and I think one would be more afraid of God's retribution than anyone else's.

3. Don't fear the future

It's been said a lot of times but it's true…worries are a waste of time. My husband would laugh if he heard me say this, since I spend a lot of time thinking "what if" or coming up with all the possible pessimistic outcomes of situations. My worst days with "worry" happened after I was released from a three-week stay in the hospital, without insurance since my husband had no benefits yet with his job. I spent so much time worrying about making the payment…when in the end, all that worry was for nothing because God took care of it and provided 100%.

So instead, replace worries with hope. When you catch yourself thinking, "What if this happens…," instead say, "I hope that God takes care of it." And then say a quick prayer to give your request to God.

For a while, I spent a lot of time worrying that I might get sick again, or that my illness will return with such a heavy blow next time that I may not recover. But I refuse to live my life in fear of the future, because what is the point of living when you are afraid of life?

God knows your future. He takes care of the birds in the air, and He would take even better care of you. 

"When Hope is Blind"

Hi everyone! I have recently started writing another blog dedicated to devotional posts. I decided to include my latest devotional as a post here, but please check out this blog for more devotional posts to come: Hope for the Spirit

THE WORD:

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

" For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Romans 8:24 (NLT)

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

 

DEVOTION:

Some people give up on hope because they lose focus on the possibilities. They give up and claim that it is a "lost cause" because they are tired of hoping for something they cannot see.

With a rare and incurable neurological disease, I live each day with the possibility that my illness can return at any time. Maybe with new symptoms. Maybe with permanent brain damage. Maybe the next time God will call me Home. Despite all these possibilities, I continue to hope that I will get better, and that one day - a cure can be found…even for such a rare illness as mine.

Some people give up on hope because it has disappointed them too many times. I was diagnosed with my illness at the age of 17, and it has struck me two more times since then with different symptoms. There was a point when I thought, "Will I ever be rid of this illness? Will it always be haunting my life?"

Hope is the desire that there is something better around the corner. When hope is blind, you cannot see what awaits you around this corner. That is why hope holds hands with faith…because faith "gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1).

I don't know if a cure will ever be found for my illness in my lifetime. I don't know if I might be hospitalized again this year. But I continue to hope that the sun will still rise even after the darkest and coldest night.

For Christians, our hope is fueled by God's love. No matter what happens in this lifetime, our hope in God will never disappoint us. When life brings tears and pain, God says, "Hold on. I have much better things waiting for you."

So during the times of trials, we hold on to hope that God's purpose in this pain will be revealed to us. We remember that only God sees the full picture, and He knows what is around the corner. Blessings can spring out of burdens. Hopefulness can come from helplessness. Love can bloom from what once was lost. And when you have trouble keeping hope in God, remember "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). 

So you don't have to worry when your hope is blind, because God is omniscient and has a plan for you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

"God is the reason why even in pain, I smile; In confusion, I understand; and in fear, I continue to fight." (Unknown)

PRAYER:

Dear God, You know everything about me and about my life. I am limited but you are an unlimited God. When I am ready to give up hope when life brings me down, please remind me that Your ways are higher than my ways, and that Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. I may not understand now why I am going through this pain, but I understand that You work everything for Your glory. Although my hope is blind, help me to be patient for Your answer, Your rescue, and Your coming kingdom. Amen.

 

APPLICATION:

What do you hope for right now? How can you remind yourself to keep holding on? How would you encourage someone to hold on to hope when he or she is ready to give up? Do you think that faith in God makes a difference in hope?

WORSHIP:

"Before the Morning" - Josh Wilson

"Would you dare, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
'cause the pain you've been feeling,
can't compare to the joy that's coming

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
'cause the pain you've been feeling,
can't compare to the joy that's coming

Com'n, you got to wait for the light
press on, just fight the good fight
because the pain you've been feeling,
it's just the hurt before the healing
the pain you've been feeling,
just the dark before the morning"

If I could write a letter to me....

There is a popular song by Brad Paisley called, "Letter to Me," Play the song and listen to the lyrics. Brad Paisley talks about how he would write a letter to himself at the age of 17 from the perspective of his older, wiser self. He tells his 17-year-old self that although he has a broken heart, it will heal. He tells himself to hug his aunt as much as he can, and to thank his teacher for having faith in him through all the years. He tells himself that "at 17 it's hard to see past Friday night." He also tells himself that he regrets not taking Spanish. But despite everything that happened to him at 17, he says, "you'll still be around to write a letter to me."

How would you write a letter to yourself? Can you think back to a time when it seemed like that life just couldn't get any worse? Maybe there was a certain period in your life that was filled with uncertainties and you couldn't imagine how it could all get better.

I am only 24 years old, but I know that I am definitely wiser than the person I was at 17. There is a saying that you could base your age not on the number of years you have, but on your experience.

There was a time when I was 17 when life became the opposite of how I imagined it would be. I was just diagnosed with CNS vasculitis, partially bald from a brain biopsy, bloated on steroids, and missing school. My self-esteem was very low. I didn't know if I would graduate on time. And because I was just diagnosed with a neurological disease, I didn't know if I could ever live up to my high academic standards again. If I could write a letter to myself at 17, in December 2005 before I would start my senior spring semester, I would say this:

Dear Chelsey 2005,

This is a letter from seven years from now. I know you are feeling very down because your senior year is not what you expected it to be. You were supposed to be on the executive student council. You worked hard to get that position. You had interviewed to be a mentor for the junior high students. You were planning on getting top grades so that you can win a great scholarship to the university of your choice.

But don't worry…you will finish your chemotherapy sessions in time to attend your spring semester of your senior year. And the psychologist who said that you will be a C+ average is wrong…you will graduate with the top of your class with two academic awards.

I know you think this disease has ruined your life, but actually - it will make you a stronger, wiser, and more compassionate person. Remember how you were planning on becoming a criminal lawyer? You were so driven and thought that this career would bring meaning and security in your life. But as you get older, you will find that meaning can be found in anything…even as a stay-at-home wife who writes encouraging blogs for people, or gives away baked goods for free because she secretly would love to have her own bakery. :P

I know at this time you are feeling a lot of stress from your home situation and you wonder if you will ever escape it. You were hoping that your opportunity to leave would come in the form of a scholarship to a university far away from home, but now you don't even know if you will graduate on time with your friends. But relax - everything will work out well. Your mom is going to send you to live with your aunt for a while so you can fully recover without living in a constant stressful situation, and moving to the west coast will be one of the best decisions you will ever make in your life. There, you will apply to a smaller Christian university - one you thought that was beneath your potential, but this school will actually change and challenge you - and all for the better. At this school you will meet some genuine best friends. And through these friends, you will meet your best friend for life - who will vow to stay by you, no matter what.

And when you move to the west coast, hug Auntie Eva - as much as you can. You won't have much time left with her.

You may be bitter and angry at life right now, but remember that you don't see the full picture - God does. A wise person said, "God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His reasons, but we simply have to trust His will." And when you see your life seven years from now, you would be amazed at all the blessings God has given you because of this illness…because you will get sick again, and with new symptoms…and you'll wonder why does it seem that God keeps allowing this illness to flare up.

But sometimes God uses such trials to mold us into a better person, to the person that He wants to be and that He can use for His purpose. You wouldn't have the compassion, empathy, or generosity to change your major to human services in your last year of university…if it wasn't for all the trials that you went through in life. Everything that has happened to you has strengthened you to become who you will be in 2012 - and that person that God has molded is a much better version of you than you had in mind.

And about those family troubles..you will be happy to hear that you fought bitterness and won. You decided that living a life of peace and forgiveness is much better than a life of anger and resentment. Another wise person said, "What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now."

Life will continue to go up and down for you. You will experience some broken hearts. You will have financial problems. You will be rejected by family relatives you thought would stand by you.  But like Brad Paisley says, "You'll make it through this and you'll see. You're still around to write this letter to me." 

Life isn't worth living if you are afraid to live it. Take risks. Don't be afraid to speak from your heart. Hope is knowing that God has a purpose for everything you go through...and everything you are going through today will lead you to the best years of your life. 

Hugs and blessings,

Chelsey, 2012

Beauty in Brokenness

Everyone has a story that can break your heart. But life can be beautiful when you can see beauty in the brokenness. Some people decide to dwell in the brokenness, while others accept their brokenness and then make their way into turning it beautiful.

For example, go and visit a hospital sometime. There may be a person in the ER, grumpy and screaming at the nurses to hurry up and fix his broken arm. And then maybe you go upstairs to the cancer ward. And there, you find a bald lady sitting up in bed, smiling within the last few hours of her life.

We all have had injuries…physical injuries, emotional injuries, mental injuries, perhaps spiritual injuries…but we don't need to live with these injuries everyday. When one has hope, one believes in the possibility that God has more for life in store.

The beauty of brokenness is that there is hope that it can result in something greater. When we are broken, we allow our hearts to be more open for God to glue them back together. And God's glue is sturdier than anything else that we rely on with our hearts.

The beauty of the family problems I had in my childhood is that I can relate well to others who are suffering from broken relationships.

The beauty of living with a rare and incurable neurological disease is that it has helped me be empathetic to others who also suffer from an illness.

The beauty of the hurt and pain that I have endured have resulted in scars on my heart, where God had glued the pieces together. These scars remind me of lessons learned, and that God can fix anything that I give to Him.

Maybe you can't see the beauty in a broken situation right now, but remember that we are like Job - who did not know or understand the ways of God. Job had everything ripped apart from his life - his children, his wealth, his health - and God didn't answer even when Job questioned why he was suffering. Despite all this, Job decides to fully trust in God even though he felt no beauty in his broken situation at all.

Maybe you are having trouble seeing beauty in your brokenness too, but just like a popular worships song says to God, "You make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things out of us."

Stephan Hoeller said, "A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear [that results] from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured, then we will not produce the pearl."

We are all pearls.