From the other side of the great divide
Our father set out on his quest
Spreading the light of the one true God
As he headed toward the west.

He settled down in the Land of Hope
But it was decreed his children should not stay
There was a world out there dragged down in despair
With no one to lead the way.

From Har Sinai to Har Tzion
The road is filled with twists and turns
There’ve been places where we’ve blossomed
There’ve been places where we’ve burned

But throughout we sang the Song of Hope
‘Next year in Yerushalayim’
And still we sing the Song of Hope
Yerushalayim!

Now we’re coming back home to Tzion
Back home to realize our dream
And if there ever was a doubt what this dream’s all about
Everybody will know just what it means.

See the hills as they dance
And the trees singing out
And the laughter as it fills our mouths
As we come joyfully streaming home
From the east, west north and south.

For so many years we’ve sown with tears
But soon the day will come
When the world will study war no more
And a new song will be sung
And we’ll sing that holy melody from the hills of Yerushalayim
Yes we’ll sing that holy melody from Yerushalayim.

Personally, because of a chronic pain syndrome, I know first hand the loss of control and social life. I can’t count the number of social occasions I’ve backed out of or refused to commit to because I never know when I will be able to fulfill a commitment. Its a lot of loss and loneliness.

Oddly, chronic disease is also difficult for physicians to handle emotionally. We all like to win. Feeling helpless in the face of a problem starts to wear thin after a few years, and the physician starts to show frustration, or lack of attention. You have to find someone new. And auditioning new doctors is tiring all by itself.

Your real friends at this point are those who can learn to live with your shortcomings. At a party, I can help with set up, but I can’t help with clean up. By the end of the party, I’m tired enough that my coordination is gone and I make more messes than I remove. I have one friend tuned in well enough that she can recognize when it’s time to take me home from the opposite end of the convention floor. I’m well enough these days that cancelling on plans is a rarity (or maybe I’ve learned to make fewer plans) but it still happens and it takes a real friend to understand and either go alone, or find someone else to play with on short notice.

The internet is a life saver for me. I means that I can respond when I’m able, rather than when you are asking. So if I’m exhausted and asleep, I can still communicate with you even if you write at 5:00 and I don’t read it until midnight.