When I was a kid, I loved this Sesame Street song:

These are the people in your neighborhood – in your neighborhood- in your neighborhood

Their the people that you meet, when you’re walking down the street, they’re the people that you meet each day

The Lyme neighborhood extends worldwide. I work with doctors across the country and talk with people all over the world who are going through similar battles. My blog posts have been read in over 50 countries…it blows my mind when I look at the list and see that my Lyme neighborhood extends worldwide.

And here’s the thing I’ve noticed – there’s a connection with every single person in this neighborhood. It’s a different connection than we have with others – it doesn’t matter that we haven’t met before, we are instant friends, we know each other’s struggles and want to help.

Sometimes the help is obvious – it’s advice about a therapy or remedy, it’s an encouraging word when someone is losing hope, it’s recommendations for doctors and treatment protocols.

And sometimes, it’s something subtle that creates a drastic shift.

I’ve been in a stall.

A stall – in airplane terms – doesn’t mean the engine has shut off, it doesn’t mean the plane is going down. It just means it isn’t able to gain lift.

And that’s where I’m at. I’m not going down, I’m not crashing, I just can’t seem to gain lift, forward motion. And honestly, that can be just as hard and frustrating as being in a downward spiral.

But I’ve been chatting the last few days with someone in my Lyme neighborhood who has no idea that I’m in a stall. He shared some things he is doing on his healing journey and it’s like suddenly the air speed increased and my wings leveled out…and maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to climb a little going forward.

I know that sounds a little corny, but I really am grateful for others in my Lyme neighborhood. We can’t do this on our own – we need each other, if only just to know we’re not alone.

So I want to encourage you today, if you are in a stall and feeling like you’ll never make progress – don’t lose heart, keep your eyes open and be ready to try something new. Find connections to the people in your neighborhood – even if those people are half a world away.