Unmasked

* Just as you would not judge a book by its cover, don’t jump to conclusions about this blog post from the title. This article is in no way a commentary on masks as they relate to Covid.*

Masks, Something very few of us thought about before March 2020. We have since been told the value of a mask.

Let’s think about that for a minute. What is the real value of a mask? And, while we’re thinking about masks, let’s go beyond Covid. Masks were here before Covid. There are, of course, surgical masks. There are also Halloween masks. They can be fun. We can hide behind them and pretend to be someone else. And, there are also skincare facial masks. These masks are soothing and leave you with a youthful glow.

I want to talk about a different mask. We can wear a figurative mask to hide our emotions. Or, in the case of someone with a chronic illness, they may wear a “mask” to hide their pain.

We have all said we were “fine” when we were not. People with chronic illness and autoimmune disease are great actors. They hide behind their smiles and continue to be “fine”. They become experts at acting like they’re not sick.

My own experience has been to wear my “I’m fine” mask to conceal headaches, nausea, abdominal pain and more. I tend to mask my symptoms until I have to reveal I’m having a procedure or surgery. Thankfully, my symptoms are mostly under control, for now, with medication.

I will continue to mask my symptoms. And, if asked, I will tell you that “I’m fine”. I have become quite good at acting “fine”.

Reflection: What are you hiding? Or, what are those you meet hiding? Behind every “I’m fine” is a story we don’t know. Unmask the real you.