When I think about love, I think of my parents. Though they’ve been together for the better part of 35 years, the best word I’d use to describe their relationship is not “everlasting” (though that would be a close second), but rather “enduring.” As I’ve watched them grow…
Lupus is cruel. It flips your entire life on its head. It robs you of so much, and it loves women for some reason. Men get it, but the vast majority of those suffering are female. We live in a society that says even the healthiest women should…
Dependency is part of the human experience. A large majority of the early years of our lives are spent relying on parents and guardians to teach us the ins and outs of life. If you’re lucky enough to make it to old age, you’ll once again find yourself…
I’m tired. I don’t want to do this anymore. I want the energy and the muscle tone that I once had. I wake up and, some days, I cannot reach behind me because the pain in my shoulders is so bad. I can hardly walk up the block,…
Lupus is a big, black question mark in every sense. Of course, there’s the fact that there’s no cure, but even more frustrating is that we’re left without a cause, either. While the prospect of living with a chronic illness for the rest of your life is definitely…
Lupus is a part of me, and like a baby, it’s something I need to nurture, pay attention to. But at times, I neglect my lupus so much that someone could call the Administration for Children’s Services on me. I never asked for this cranky brat that changed my life,…
I am a vegetarian who occasionally slips up and eats a piece of chicken. I became a vegetarian because it made me feel better and gave me more energy. Also, I began to research the foods I was putting in my mouth and, quite frankly, I started to…
At 16, I stepped off Australian soil for the very first time, only to fall in love with traveling the world. In my last six revolutions around the sun, I have endeavored to explore this wonderful planet we call home, wherever my bank balance would allow me, whenever…
One of my favorite childhood shows was “A Different World.” It was one of the first TV shows that made college (and Greek life) seem real for me and exciting, especially as a young woman of color. There was one scene from the show that cracks me up to…
There’s a version of a popular saying that states: “Tell the universe what you want and then watch it laugh.” Previously, I had declared that 2018 would be the year of remission for me, and I instantly got a hacking cough, a runny nose, and muscle pain. I…