HEALTH & WELLNESS
ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER
“Fearfully and Wonderfully
Made,” Although Living
with the Effects of Arthritis
by Mary Shaw-Ridley
T
he month of May is a wonderful
time of year when many families
are celebrating graduations, wed-
dings, and family reunions. It is
the time of year when family members and
young and old friends travel to attend these
special events with us. Coincidentally, we
observe May as National Arthritis Aware-
ness Month. Although the human body is
“fearfully and wonderfully made”, you may
be one of millions of Americans living with
and/or affected by arthritis. If you are cur-
rently unaffected by arthritis, there is a high
16 HimPower May 2018
probability that a family member or friend
is living with this chronic condition. In the
future, you too might live with the effects
of arthritis. Why devote an entire month to
increase awareness about arthritis?
According to the Arthritis Foundation
at https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/,
over 50 million Americans have arthritis,
which means that one in every 5 adults,
300,000 children, and many families suffer
from this debilitating condition. Arthritis
is the number one cause of disability in the
United States. We expect the numbers to