This Brutiful Life

The kind responses to my latest blog post, Anything is Possible, were a welcome surprise. I was certainly not expecting them. Here is a sampling of some of the supportive messages I received:

Then, our therapist told me at our therapy session the next day that she looks forward to reading my blog posts. She knows that I consider myself more of a math person than an English person, but she thinks that one of my strengths is putting words to the experiences of people who live alongside invisible, complex chronic illnesses. She frequently tells me that I have gained a lot of wisdom over the years from my experiences. And, just as her clients learn from her, she learns from us as well. She also stated, for the second time, that my writing reminds her of a famous author and social scientist we both greatly admire, and I thought I might die right then and there. 🤣 I emailed our therapist after our session to thank her for her support, and here was her reply:

I don’t write blog posts for external validation. However, it was really nice to receive positive messages in the aftermath of some recent events.

I have some wonderful people in my life who are honest, supportive, and emotionally safe. I always know when I am around these people, because I don’t feel like I need to be guarded for any reason. My nervous system is regulated. I am open, warm, loving, kind, authentic, and vulnerable.

I am super grateful to have these people in my life! ❤️

I am very aware that there is a large number of people in our country, and around the world, who are suffering right now, so there is not a day that goes by that I am not grateful for the beautiful in the midst of the brutal.


Brutal. The large number of people in our country, and around the world, who are suffering right now.

Beautiful. Kind and supportive responses to my latest blog post. Our amazing therapist. My writing being compared to a famous author and social scientist I greatly admire. The wonderful people in my life who are honest, supportive, and emotionally safe. Good karma. The beautiful in the midst of the brutal.


Just another day of . . . This Brutiful Life: The Brutal & Beautiful Moments of My Life.