Why does it take us to see something wrong with somebody else to be thankful for what we have?

This isn't really a blog "post" as such- it's just a thought. I was watching a video yesterday about some people who suffered abuse (of all kinds) as a child and before I went to bed, I thanked Allah that I had never been abused and that I did not have a traumatic childhood. I'm not gonna sugar-coat it, there were a few smacks here and there, but Alhamdulillah, nothing really bad.

Then it got me thinking: why do we have to hear about someone being abused, or see someone blind or in a wheelchair to be thankful? We are such tiny specs on this Earth, and we have no wisdom compared to Almighty God, and as much as we try, we cannot make a list of everything we ought to be thankful for. We are blessed in so many ways we don't even realise, and we cannot even fathom all of them. But why does it take for us to notice someone who doesn't have something for us to be thankful that we do have that something.

Some people think that Allah has made people disabled etc so that able-bodied people will look at them and thank Allah that they are not like that. This may or may not be true, but I seem to think that it is true. Since Allah has created us, and knows us, inside out, he knows that we will not appreciate what we have until we see those who are without.

But then, SubhanAllah, have you notice that most (not all ) people with any health conditions (may or may not be disabilities) are just so much stronger within themselves and seem to be happier. It's like how I was waching a Channel 4 documentary named "Beauty and the Beast"- and there was a guy on there with a facial disfigurement. And he saw past the superficial ideology of society that your face and looks are the most important, and instead saw the importance of inner beauty.

And in the same way, I think my condition, hypothyroidism, has also made me see past the society's "size zero we-all-wanna-be-thin" conditioning, and accept that we all come in different shapes and sizes. I used to feel so unconfident within my skin, thinking people treated me differently because I was fat. Now, I couldn't care less, because I'm happy with the way I am, and I know that I am beautiful on the inside. I also know it takes people a while to realise this, and to see past the stereotypes.

So I want you to use me as an example to be thankful. I want you to be thankful and feel blessed that you have a normal, functioning thyroid. That you can lose weight quicker than me, that you can eat what you want and not have to worry about gaining weight. Not because it's so difficult for me, or that I want your sympathy, because although at first it was difficult, it has become so much easier. Just because I believe God made me this way so that you would be thankful for your thyroid.

Celebrities with Thyroid Disease

Peace. I know I haven't blogged in a while, I wanted to avoid just blogging for the sake of giving you something to read, and I wanted to blog when I wanted and about stuff that interested me and that I hope will have an impact on you. I hope you all had an amazing Eid btw =] and unfortunately I didn't take any pictures so that's why I didn't do an Eid post.

It's not really an excuse but uni and life in general is so time-consuming and hectic I barely think about blogging. I am now Features Editor for the Uni newspaper (yay!) so InshaAllah anything I write for the paper will also be shared here.

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OK, so the purpose of this post is just to share with you some "famous" people with Thyroid Disease, and how I wish that even one of these would do something to raise awareness. Here they are:

Probably the most famous one: Oprah Winfrey

 

America's favourite daytime TV presenter Oprah announced in Autumn 2007 that she was struggling with thyroid disease. She has a controversial and non-medicinal approach to the disease.

Robbie Williams, from Take That

The most recent thyroid confession has to be from Robbie Williams. He recently gave the following statement:

"I was lethargic and depressed and I thought I was lethargic and depressed as a person. I thought that was my make up. I found out a few months ago that I'd been ill, completely by mistake and I don't want to go into the whys and wherefores but what I had makes you lethargic and makes you depressed and I'd had it for years and not known and I'm on treatment for it. It's changed my life."

In another interview on MSN, he urged the general public to go and get their hormones checked. I know he hasn't said the T-word (thyroid) but there is much speculation that it most probably is Hypothyroidism.

 

Kelly Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne has admitted to thyroid problems; and has an overactive thyroid gland. Most notably, she has recently lost so much weight but is apparently refusing thyroid treatment due to fears she may re-gain the weight.She attributed her weight loss to TV show "Dancing with the stars", good diet, the gym and routine. 

 

Kim Cattrall

Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, over 50, is at the normal age for women to develop Thyroid disease. She has the Autoimmune type of Hypothyroidism. 

There are many more, including:

• George W.Bush (had thyroid nodules)
• Rod Stewart
• Toni Childs
• Brittany Murphy (rip)
• Anna Nicole Smith (rip)