What have I been up to in the three months since I last posted here? Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to write about, and other times I feel like I have too many things and can't choose one. So, here's a summary: My health has been up and down, as usual, but some of… Continue reading What I do while I’m waiting
I love autumn. I know it's been the "it" season for a few years now, and I don't care. I love it so much that I celebrate its beginning on September 1st, which is the start of meteorological autumn. I'm no fan of hot weather, and I live in New England where the foliage becomes… Continue reading Appreciating Autumn When You’re Physically Limited
Today I am missing yet another thing. That thing is an outdoor bridal shower with swimming, food, yoga, and just hanging out in the sun. All things that I love. I RSVP'd a month ago with the expectation that, by this time, I'd be well enough to go. Just yesterday I thought, "you know, I'm feeling… Continue reading FOMO When You Have a Chronic Illness
I'm having a slump day. A "flare up" day. A feeling-crappy day. It started yesterday, really. I was in denial at first, but it's here for real now. It's not the worst flare-up I've had, but it's definitely the worst I've felt in the past week or two. I'm having symptoms I haven't had in… Continue reading Chronic illness and the endless search for “why”
I recently had a conversation with a friend about the minimalism lifestyle as it exists in popular culture today. Minimalism as a way of living has been around in many forms, under many names, for a pretty long time. Though I didn't always have a name for it, minimalism has always been attractive to me in some way.… Continue reading Minimalism for well-being and the greater good, not perfection
Most of us have had a person or experience in our life that made us acutely aware of our own weaknesses. Maybe it was a harsh teacher in school, or job that challenged us, or a family member or friend who brought out our worst traits. For me, it has been several years dealing with chronic… Continue reading Welcoming the unsolicited life lessons of chronic illness
While on a retreat last weekend I heard a story about the renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman, and it has stuck in my mind since then. You can read the whole beautiful story here. Or, to summarize: Perlman had polio as a child, and getting on and off stage for his performances often involved a slow and painful walk and… Continue reading 3-string violin
In the fall of 2014, I took an 8-week course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). I won't get into the details of it here, but there's a wealth of information about MBSR online if you're interested in learning more. Meditation and mindfulness weren't knew to me, but I wanted to delve in a bit deeper.… Continue reading “Start small” is more than just a saying
It's been an interesting week, if you consider Sunday to be the end of the week and not the beginning. On Tuesday, I got the results of several blood tests and allergy tests, and met with my immunologist. Then I had a really whacked-out week and didn't feel like processing everything here in writing. I… Continue reading A “good enough” diagnosis
Today I spent some time inviting fellow 2007 alums from my college to donate to the college's annual fund. Although I love my college, I often have mixed feelings about fundraising for it. I feel a little sentimental when I think about the warm community I found at Mount Holyoke College. I met people from all… Continue reading Giving to my alma mater – it’s complicated
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