Hey there Beautiful Butterflies,
I am Rosalyn Renay! Welcome….I’ve started this blog because I want to help others who need inspiration, support, and motivation. I was diagnosed with lupus in 2004, and ever since my life has completely changed. (Like For Real!)
Before I diagnosed with lupus, life was simple. Live was enjoyable, and there was nothing that could stop me. I was a dreamer, knew I could do anything I set my mind to. I was the odd ball out of my siblings (only girl out of three boys, yikes), and my family had no problem with letting me know how different I was.
Being diagnosed with lupus at such an early age changed my life drastically. I went through so much at once that I didn’t know how to take it all in. Even my social life, i spent most of my ninth grade year in the hospital (talk about depressed!). After I was diagnosed, it all went down from there. It seemed like my passion, drive, and spunk all went away! Mood swings were frequent in my life. One minute I was happy and the very next second I was crying, mad, and just awfully depressed. Nothing seemed to make me happy anymore. I kept questioning God wondering why did this have to happen to me!? What have I done to deserve this!? Do you really love me!? I was a mess!
Ten years later, I am a completely changed person (it took a while to get here might I add). The love and respect I have for myself is so beautiful. I’m back to the loving, joyful, and active person I lost when lupus came into the picture. My joy and appreciation I have for life overwhelms me, these changes made the simple things in life so much sweeter. My relationship with God continues to grow more and more each day. I’ve always had a spiritual connection with him but with life transitions our bond became closer than ever. I’ve also become more physically active, taking care of my body by strengthening it and pushing it to limits I never thought I could go. I began to read books about vegetarian/vegan living, and other forms of meatless lifestyles. (I’m from the south, I never would have thought I would not eat meat again..craziness). I also take pride in my appearance, because there was once a time when I thought I was unattractive, never cared enough for myself to even want to look presentable. Now when I get up in the morning I motivate myself by speaking positive, and embracing the day as it comes. This self-love journey, it’s never ending.
Growing up I’ve always had a passion for helping others. It makes my heart smile to know that someone’s life was changes because of me. Lupus has taught me that the smallest gestures like a smile goes a very long way in this world. You never know how much of an impact you can have on a persons day. I use to find myself shying away from people, now I embrace my gift to speak into someone’s life. I’ve been blessed by a few random strangers throughout my life, and I just want to do the same.
Lupus took me at such a surprise that life became unbearable. I struggled with self-esteem, body image, and acceptance. I literally hated myself sometimes, I never thought I was good enough for anything or anyone (many people don’t know this, I faked the funk for a long time). I beat myself up for years (physically and emotionally) because I didn’t understand the craziness that was going on with me.
I want to make this process easier for people going through life transitions. This journey is not an easy one, its been ten years for me and it wasn’t until about year 5 when I started to truly love myself again. A lot of people don’t understand what we go through, that’s why I’m here. I want to be that light in the dark, that push, that motivation, and inspiration for someone else. Let me love you through these tough times and show you somethings that helped me along the way. Lets bring that peace back into your life :)!
On this blog,
I will be sharing
•personal stories (some that many of my close family and friend don’t even know)
•Sharing how the Vegan lifestyle changed my life.
•testimonials
Recipes specifically to reduce inflamation based on the diet that I follow to reduce symptoms of lupus
Funny stories about my personal journey to help you “keep your head up” and inspire your soul.
Love you all and I hope you enjoy reading my post as much as I enjoy writing them.
Rosalyn Renay 