My partner and I eat all our meals in bed. We’ve never made space for a dining room because it’s simply impractical for us. There’s a common misconception that disabled people sit around and do nothing to contribute to society. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are everywhere, creating in spite of barriers… Continue reading Chronic Illness is Exhausting Work
CW: This article discusses abuse including sexual abuse, and violence against oppressed groups. There is no graphic detail. “The righteous rise with burning eyesOf hatred and ill willMadmen fed on fear and liesTo beat and burn and killThey say there are strangers who threaten usOur immigrants and infidelsThey say there is strangeness too dangerousIn our… Continue reading Are Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Megan Phelps-Roper Free from Fear and Hate?
Content warning: brief mention of suicidal ideation Early on in my life, I memorized the following order of value with the acronym “JOY”: Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. This way of thinking led to many years of never thinking about myself at all. This is because Jesus was so demanding and there were… Continue reading Learning About Independence, Interdependence, and Codependence
This blog is about myself, but it’s also about the things I care about. Everything matters to me. That doesn’t mean I know everything, though. Far from it. In writing about my own struggles, I aim to include struggles of all kinds. I can’t write about experiences that aren’t my own. My story is my… Continue reading What is this blog about?
My most popular writings are about surviving an abusive childhood. I’ve gathered readers from people who are curious, intrigued, or can’t look away from the details. As I’ve gotten better, though, I’ve been told that people prefer to celebrate victories. This is counterintuitive to my experience. Would you rather read about victory or tragedy? In… Continue reading Tragedy and Victory
All my life, the people around me have said to me, “You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.” For most of my life, I would respond angrily, “Well, who else is going to?” I was angry because I perceived the world as being full of complacent people. They didn’t care about housing… Continue reading Learning How to be Effective
There’s a lot to be said about being environmentally conscientious. For a long time, I believed that it’s pointless to try on an individual level. After all, the main people to blame for environmental destruction are the ultra-wealthy and the corporations. My perspective has shifted over the years because I’ve been listening to environmental protectors… Continue reading Consuming with Care
When I was growing up, my family didn’t always celebrate Halloween. We went trick-or-treating when I was very young, but later my parents became convinced that it was unholy. Witches, demons, and ghosts all went against god’s way. Instead, we celebrated All Saint’s Day on November 1st. We’d dress up as our favorite Christian martyrs… Continue reading Fear Thrives on Avoidance
I feel like I have written myself into a corner. I was fueled with rage when I first committed to writing about my experiences, and now I’m stuck with having to write down the details of my traumatic past. It’s triggering to work on my memoir. I’m trying to work on trauma recovery so I… Continue reading Writing and Trauma Recovery
Last year’s Disney film Encanto was a powerful and endearing musical. It did a fantastic job of addressing how intergenerational trauma can lead to dysfunctional family roles. Of course, the song that most resonated with me was the one sang by the oldest sister, Luisa, “Surface Pressure.” Like her, I was seen as the strong… Continue reading Learning How to Rest