In praise of the unfiltered moment
Some things are just better in their raw, unfiltered state: rich cacao from the heights of Peru, a shot of espresso first thing in the morning, amber-colored honey from a local hive – or the words of a woman, before she’s had time to “calm down.”
The Job I loved was still just a job
Not everyone can say that they love their job and get incredible fulfillment from it. But for those who do, the effects of chronic pain can make it devastatingly difficult to keep doing that work. I continued to teach for two and a half years in horrific pain while seeking proper medical treatment that could restore my health and ability to function. I had no way of knowing then that this wasn’t in the cards.
when relationships end without explanation
Few experiences are more painful than when someone disappears from our lives without explanation.
There’s no final conversation, no moment of clarity, no shared understanding that something has changed. Instead, there’s simply silence, and the unanswered question that stays with us for a long time afterward: What happened?
When “Just” Isn’t simple
Few words sting quite like just when you’re living with chronic pain. It might sound harmless enough on the surface, yet it carries an assumption that effort, access, and capacity are universal. In this context, it can feel like a four-letter word that cuts to the bone.
Speaking To Our Needs In Relationships
Many people living with chronic pain — or any chronic illness — experience a kind of social isolation that’s difficult to articulate. Sometimes it’s logistical: we don’t feel well enough to socialize. Sometimes it’s emotional: we feel misunderstood, unsupported, or made to feel
the importance of protecting our peace
Peace can seem like a rare enough commodity these days. When chronic pain enters the scene, peace is no longer a utopian luxury to dream of, but something we must decide to create for ourselves. This is our wake-up call, and we can each decide what that will mean for us.
doing less than we are able — on purpose
We live with the cultural and internalized belief that if we can take more on, we should. An extra five minutes? Great – what all can we get done in that time?
As a classic Type-A personality and chronic over-doer, I used to measure much of my worth by what I could
The imperative of self-advocacy
Living with chronic pain is exhausting enough, but dealing with people who minimize us, and our experience, is no less exhausting and irritating. It gets so old. The energy it takes to constantly encounter such limited understanding and entitlement from people
The Wordwise project quarterly update
The Origins of The WordWise Project
The impetus for The WordWise Project arose from what I perceived as a gap in helpful resources for individuals living with chronic pain, particularly everyday practical as well as mindfulness-based strategies that could help them adapt to their new reality in positive, uplifting, and empowering ways. I also noticed a glaring absence of resources
the cost of careless words
There are times when someone’s words land like a stone — heavy, sharp, and impossible to shrug off. For those of us living with chronic pain or disability, these moments can feel all too familiar. What may have been intended as casual curiosity or even concern can instead come across as judgment, dismissal, or intrusion.
the radical act of slowing down
To some, slowing down — whether by choice or necessity — is often met with discomfort, suspicion, or pity. It can also be easily mistaken for failure. In our culture, the productivity myth prevails. We live in a world that worships speed. Quick decisions, fast fixes, and relentless momentum are praised as signs of strength. Productivity
The parts we hide, and the stories we need to tell
When Was the Last Time Someone Really Asked About You?
I mean really asked. Think about the last time someone genuinely asked you about your life story — not your job, not your title, but who you are, your life experiences,
The delicate balance of sharing
There’s a vulnerability that comes with sharing my story, especially when it’s rooted in something so personal, painful, and ongoing. Each time I write about my experiences with chronic pain, I feel both exposed and
Out of alignment, and the journey back
“ I thought I was fine — until I was flat on the floor, wondering what happened.” Many of us are walking around, (so to speak) slightly or severely out of alignment, physically or metaphorically, without even
When Pain Becomes the Path
I don’t adhere to any one faith, and I don’t reject any, either. I’m not here to preach, convert, or explain away suffering. I’ve always been spiritually inclined, though—a
Living Through a Flare
I usually know when the pain is already high the moment I awaken. The familiar signs tell me it’s more than just a tougher day. It heralds the onset of
The Presence of Grief While Navigating Chronic Pain
One word has arisen each time I’ve held seminars on living well with chronic pain: Grief. It’s a companion that has come to the table for so many of us living this experience. As a follow-up to my last article, I‘ll dive
It’s Not Over
For those of us who live with chronic pain, it’s easy to fall into that insidious trap sometimes — the one that tells us, “it’s all over.”
Sometimes that voice arises early on, at the onset of chronic pain, and sometimes it resurfaces
Tending the Inner Garden
Tending the Inner Garden: Self-Care and Self-Compassion with Chronic Pain
Transforming Self-Care from Surface Rituals to Soulful Reverence
There came a point in my chronic pain journey when I realized: I’d spent years tending to everyone but myself.
I knew how to push through, show up, and take care of others. But when pain made that impossible, I had to face something unfamiliar — the quiet invitation
How I found my voice again: The Transformative Power of Writing
Let’s talk about writing as both creative and therapeutic practice. It’s a topic that many of us are familiar with in the broader sense, and it can be an incredibly rich portal for