Things we shouldn’t have to get sick to learn
We often talk about what people living with chronic conditions need to learn, adjust to, or do differently. But what if we flipped the conversation and considered what their experiences might teach us all about living well?
learning to take up space
Life has a way of shrinking us down. Many of us learn early in life to stay in line, lower our voices, and avoid drawing attention to ourselves. While some of that training served a purpose when we were young, we eventually carry it into adulthood, along with the idea that taking up space is a bad thing.
The Illusion of falling behind
The strange thing about finally starting to feel a little better is that your to-do list perks up, too.
Mine certainly has.
As fate would have it, I live with an autoimmune condition as well as chronic pain. After spending the last couple of weeks feeling especially run-down from a massive flare (thanks, Canadian wildfire smoke!), I've been looking around my house and seeing everything that hasn’t been done.
the harder part of receiving kindness
We’ve all been told it’s better to give than receive, and for many of us, it’s certainly easier.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've found myself on the receiving end of an extraordinary amount of encouragement. Some of it came from familiar places, some from complete strangers. Unexpected generosity. New connections. Small but genuine and
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 cost of careless words: When cruelty is disguised as conversation
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.