And today makes nine

Nine years.  Nine very long years.  Today is the anniversary of my diagnosis with linear morphea.  This certainly has been a year for change.  For the first time in my life I met another person with a localized form of scleroderma.  She is a lovely lady, and we bonded over our years post diagnosis.  For the first time, I had another person who totally understood where I was coming from with my insecurities.  She has coup de sabre, which is a form of scleroderma on the face.  Her attitude about life and her looks is amazing.  She really has an incredible grip on the whole thing.  I really admire her.  This got me to thinking, if this is how people see me.  I mean, you have to cope no matter what, so why not make the best of it?  But do other people see my dealing as a thing to admire?  She is flourishing. It just makes a person wonder.  And I also met someone who had met another someone with morphea.  It was interesting to not be so unique to him.  As soon as I said it, he said, 'oh yeah, I knew someone with that when I was in my twenties'.  I liked not being so special for something I can't help.  It's kind of amazing.  Next year it will be an entire decade since I found out about my disease.  And this was the year that so many things changed in my life.  Pretty cool I'd say