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
When I have a day that I feel healthy - the way I used to feel on most days - I feel like a superhero. I don't even have to feel 100%. Ninety percent will do. On those days, I get an urge to do everything. All the things I couldn't do on those other days… Continue reading When normal isn’t normal anymore
A few years ago, someone lent me a book called Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chödrön. I like Pema Chödrön, but I don't like uncertainty, so I never read the book. In retrospect, it probably would have been useful. One of the many, many things that having a chronic illness has taught me (or at least… Continue reading The inescapable lesson of waiting
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