Today is May the Fourth, which makes it May the Fourth Be With You Day. I’m sure most everyone has heard that play on words, but for anyone who has not, here’s an explanation. One of the big phrases from Star Wars was “May the Force Be With You”. Many fans have adopted May the Fourth as May the Fourth Be With You Day. Those Star Wars fans are pretty clever.
Like most, I was pretty amazed when the first Star Wars movie came out in 1977. Prior to that we had Star Trek, but there was nothing around like Star Wars. The special effects were amazing. That alone made the movie so popular.
I enjoyed the first movie, enjoyed the second movie a little less, and by the third movie, I quit watching them altogether. I realize that may appear sacrilegious for some, but I just didn’t get into them.
I know people that can quote some of the movies almost word for word. They speak “Yoda” like a second language. They wait in eager anticipation for the next movie release, which often takes years. I never got that enthused about the newer movies. Each person is different.
That leads me to today’s topic: differences in people and the Force that can develop when those people choose to bond together. Each person’s experience with the Star Wars movies affected them differently. Each person’s experience with Myasthenia Gravis also affects them differently and each experiences symptoms at varying intensities. Some barely show signs or symptoms at all, while others struggle to perform daily functions. MG is different for everyone.
That’s one of the reasons Myasthenia Gravis is so difficult to diagnose. Rarely does a person present with “classic” symptoms. When a person gets poison ivy, a doctor looks at it and says, “Yep, poison ivy.” Not so with MG. Many people experience MG symptoms for years and undergo numerous tests before finally being diagnosed.
Even the markers for MG have their limitations. One person could immediately be diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis from a positive result for one of the markers in a blood test. Others are seronegative, which means a marker for their type of MG has not yet been discovered. In those patients, doctors will use clinical findings along with various other tests to reach an MG diagnosis.
One person’s MG symptoms can be quite different from another’s. One person could have fatigue throughout most of their body, while another only experiences eyelid drooping. One person could struggle to get through the daily routines of life, while another may function just fine with the help of medication. MG is different for everyone.
Differences shouldn’t separate people or create conflict between them. It should bring people together to learn more about each other.
We don’t all have to be alike. That’s what makes the world so interesting. Instead of viewing differences as weaknesses, perhaps we’d all get along better if we viewed differences as intriguing and an opportunity to add to our understanding of others.
When we bond together, like what often happens when people who have MG talk or get together, there is a new kind of Force that develops. It’s a Force of compassion, of empathy, and of support. That Force doesn’t look for differences, it accepts and uses them to form bonds of camaraderie, strength and perseverance. That Force helps us fight the battle of MG.
So, May the Fourth Be With You! And don’t forget to take a moment to use the Force and your new found powers to help others.