'M.E. myself and I' by Anna

You don’t need big, shiny plans for Blue Sunday.

Invite your friends, online or otherwise, to send you a photo of themselves with a cup of tea as part of the Tea Party For M.E. That’s how *all of this* started.

You’ll (hopefully) be surprised by how many people jump at the chance to show their support. I’ve often found that people are at a complete loss as to how to show their support. They often can’t even pop by for a brief visit, because we are often too unwell to have the presence of other people. But raise a cup of tea to us one Sunday a year? Come on now. It’d be rude not to. 

In lieu of people being able to take you out for a catch-up over a cuppa, ask them to send those few pounds they’d spend on coffee and cake, to an M.E. cause of your choosing. I’ve compiled donation links for you again. Just forward the relevant one on to your people. Or set up your own fundraising page.

Have no one to ask? Come online to join all of us. There is a whole community of us right here waiting to welcome you. If sharing your own photo or commenting on other peoples’ posts isn’t for you, you can simply scroll through them. It all counts as participating. You don’t even need to have had a wash or brushed your hair. We get it. We’re right there with you.

We are supporting M.E. charities in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, France, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand.

I have found Blue Sunday to be a really effective way to break out of the ‘M.E echo chamber’ we so often find ourselves in. Usually the only people who read, comment, or like our awareness posts are people who either have M.E. themselves or are the loved one of someone else who has it. That has its place; this community can be a wonderful one and knowing you’re not alone is absolutely invaluable.

But there’s nothing like coaxing people in with the promise of cake, only to thrust a leaflet into their hands about the realities of the illness we live with.

I say it every year but don’t we deserve, and need, a little bit of joy and lightheartedness where we can get it? I think so. It’s nice to have something to look forward on an otherwise mostly-blank calendar. It’s definitely nice having something on there that isn’t a [usually pointless] medical appointment.

IMAGE: A text conversation over a photo of a cup of tea and a toasted tea cake. The conversation reads “Happy Blue Sunday. Joining in for you.” “Thank you so much it  means a lot.” Unlike awareness days, it absolutely is appropriate to wish people a Happy Blue Sunday.