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.