The Beginner's Guide to Walking — Jennifer V.

After a long and exhausting day at work, I drove in silence, first picking up my daughter from camp and then my husband from his office. I knew the inevitable question was coming: “What should we do for dinner?” When it did, I felt overwhelmed. It wasn’t that I didn’t…

I’m always reminding my friends to take whatever wins they can get, because life is hard. This is especially true when it includes neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Before my life with a chronic illness, I took a lot of things for granted. I moved through the world without…

If you had asked me years ago what productivity meant, I would have rattled off the usual corporate nonsense: doing more, pushing harder, staying available, and proving I could outrun exhaustion like it was a competitive sport. I treated productivity like a personality trait, something I could earn through sheer…

When I was younger, I thought confidence was something people were born with. Some people just seemed to have it. They’d walk into a room without second-guessing themselves. They’d voice their opinions without rehearsing them in advance. They’d wear whatever they wanted and somehow never appear to care what anyone…

My best friends are my rock. They are my confidants, my vault, and the keepers of my dreams. They drop everything, no matter the hour, no matter the chaos, to be there for me. If loyalty were a sport, they’d be Olympic level. And while I live with neuromyelitis…

One of my earliest memories is of my mom balancing what seemed like an impossible load on a bicycle. Dad needed the car to work out of town, so Mom improvised. She’d hang grocery bags from the handlebars, tell me to climb into the baby seat, and then my younger…

A lot of people know who I am. They know my name and recognize my face. They might describe me as “busy,” “organized,” or “the one who always has a plan.” I’ve built a life that, from the outside, looks full of work, family, friends, and commitments. For a long…

Ever since neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) introduced pain into my life, I’ve been trying to exorcise it from my body. I’ve become a formidable opponent to pain, but parts of it still frighten me. The spasms were the worst. They once felt like someone was pouring boiling water…

Ah, summer, the season of sunshine, sandy toes, and an overwhelming urge to leave our responsibilities — and occasionally common sense — behind. For most families, mine included, summer is a time to finally take a much-needed break. But as someone living with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), vacation…

I hate complaining. Truly. Deep in my soul, I believe in powering through, staying positive, and not becoming “that person” whose personality is just one long sigh. Victim mentality? Not my brand. I like to think I’m more of a “grit, grace, and decent hair day” kind of person. But…

I’ve never been great at fitting neatly into so-called boxes, especially spiritual ones. I grew up exposed to many religions, from Jehovah’s Witnesses to Seventh-day Adventists. I even begged my mom to send me to Catholic school for a period during elementary school, and dragged my younger brother along. In…