Sure, promotions and babies are great–– but if you live your whole life seeking big things to sustain your happiness, it will probably continue to elude you.
Take a Walk
If I have to be sick, the least I can do is take as many positives from that as possible, and provide as much support to others as I can.
I'm The Sick Girl, But I'm Everything Else, Too.
I am a writer. I am a cat mom. I am a political junkie. I am a friend.
Books Are Uniquely Portable Magic
Reading not only gives me an escape and a way to spend my sick time–– it makes me better able to express myself.
How I Learned To Embrace My Inner Introvert
It was far too hard with my rising anxiety to pretend to be the most outgoing one in the room all the time.
"I'm totally fine, guys!" Or, On Being Chronically Ill But Also a People Pleaser.
But how do you redefine normal? Normal for me has been a steady homeostasis of stomach aches and discomfort.
I've Accepted My Illness–– Now I Need Everyone Else To.
Yoga won’t cure me, and neither will a juice cleanse.
I Used To Go Hard and Now I Just Go Home
As it turns out, life exists before 9 PM, and it’s actually really nice.
It's Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Month!
I always thought it was kind of silly when someone said they were “raising awareness” about a cause. What do you mean? If we say it out loud enough it’ll be cured?
You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Disease Is About You.
When the Prednisone, over time, started to grow my large face even bigger like some kind of sad version of the blueberry girl from Willy Wonka, I tried not to let it bother me.
Home Is Where The Heating Pad Is
Do what you can to make yourself feel happy and healthy in the places you spend the most time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it
Why Is It Taboo To Talk About Illness?
“Tact is just not saying true stuff. I’ll pass.”
The Dangerous World of Comparative Thinking
I firmly believe “it could be worse” is a lazy thing to say–– you’re not empathizing, you’re just making the person feel guiltier for the emotions they’re experiencing.
"It's The Little Things" And Other True Cliches
Six-year-old me was a tiny capitalist dictator. While normal little girls wanted to be Cinderella or a doctor or something, I wanted to be Oprah Winfrey.
Invisibility Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be
“Sick people” come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and ability levels. They look just like you–– they just also happen to have a slightly overrated superpower.
I Go To Therapy. Is That Supposed to be a Secret?
Un-fun fact: a lot of people who suffer from chronic illness also struggle with depression and anxiety.
Restaurant Eating for the Dietarily Restricted
Suffice it to say I can eat what my gut decides it can tolerate–– and it’s being pretty picky and changing its mind more than a college freshman deciding on a major.
Make 'Em Laugh
If you can take something that hurts you and use it to make other people laugh, you’re turning it into something kind of beautiful.
Lies My Sister Told Me That Maybe Weren't Lies
My hope is that when you do finally make the decision to make a change, you have an older sister who wants to teach you how to make butternut squash soup.
Chronically Single: Dating While Sick
I’ve always been bad at dating. The peak of my allure was in the eighth grade, where I think I had a total of two “boyfriends” with whom I slow danced to Ashanti in a gym.