Loneliness and lack of social support can make a person feel overwhelmed, so I felt hopeful when I came across this cystic fibrosis (CF) website for kids.
Children living with cystic fibrosis may not feel understood; they can carry resentment—store these negative feelings inside their heart. If most of the CF resources are written with an older audience in mind, then a child or teen may look and review these resources but still feel misunderstood.
Worries such as:
- This resource doesn’t speak to me.
- This resource is written for someone else.
- This resource doesn’t reflect my life.
Some CF kids may feel their family members and friends do not understand them—they may think their support system “lacks” the time, patience, or skills to listen effectively. It can all feel very suffocating and isolating.
The universe has a weird way of working things out in life; things appear or show up for a reason.
What appeared for me was a powerful CF website written for the audience of kids—not their parents, not other family or friends. Strictly kids.
It can be a useful resource that may provide immeasurable healing. It could help a child feel heard, really understood—like their life with CF makes sense. These kids deserve a chance to feel important and visible.
I am most reminded by a quote by Ralph Nichols,
“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.”
