My son has different cries. One cry is all about needing food. Another cry is telling me he has a loaded diaper. A third cry is his call to be held. And still, another cry is all about him just being fussy and angry for little to no reason at all.

Learning these cries has taken me pretty much his whole life. These cries are all symptoms of the issue they represent. They are probably indistinguishable to other people and sound only like a baby crying. Annoying. And crying.

What I am now considering is how I too have symptoms. When I am hungry, I get grumpy and short tempered. When I am tired, I become frustrated and apathetic. To everyone else, I am unpleasant to be around and a nuisance.

The only difference between my symptoms and his symptoms is about 30.5 years.

The only difference between my symptoms and the symptoms of the people I see around me is understanding. I understand and know my symptoms. I do not know the symptoms of my neighbor, their nuance, and their meanings.

When my symptoms start showing, I need to take a deep breath, pause, and remember how my symptoms can hurt the people around me.

What are your symptoms? Who helps you stay in check? How do your symptoms affect the people around you?

Symptomatically,

–JT

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