Body education. 

We need to learn what’s normal for our own bodies, we need to learn how they’re supposed to function so we know when they go wrong. How do you tell what a lump looks like in breast cancer? What does skin cancer look like? What do bruises mean and when does skin get infected? Did you know that your areola (the bit around the nipple) can grow and shrink in the heat? Or that they can be different sizes? What does it mean if your pupils are different sizes? Periods have pain but how much? When?  What’s the recovery position?

Basically, when they say you know your body, not everyone actually does. And not knowing how other bodies work means that if something’s up with yours it may not be caught until it’s too late. 

(This is from someone who’s spent their adolescence and early adulthood going, “Wait, your body doesn’t do that?”) 

waking up to the sound of singing chickadees perched on your windowsill by your sleeping lover; giggling by their side as you watch the sky, laying on a picnic blanket with small sandwiches and juice boxes near you; slow dancing late at night to no music in the middle of your kitchen floor. you attract comfort. falling in love with you is like going home. it’s like breathing in and basking in the familiarity of it all. those who search for you find that they are at their happiest when they finally find you. your beauty is a breath of fresh air, a painting that soothes, a melody that you recognize. your love is so gentle, so kind, so soft to the touch that it eases the hearts of everyone around you. people find themselves relieved even at the sight of your mere smile, and they don’t even know why. you bring warmth to this world, my angel. keep shining.

you attract: adventure

breathing against your lover’s back as you rest after a long hike up the mountain to watch the sunset; impromptu car rides in the middle of the night that lead you to nowhere and everywhere at once; leaping over fences and gates to hold each other in your arms. you attract adventure. you’re the type to say yes before thinking of it. you have a look in your eyes that people find themselves nodding along to, if only to hold onto your attention for a little longer. you hate having to wait, and yearning brings you to almost a state of frustration for you have so much to give. you want to love now, for if you don’t love, you feel a sort of emptiness that no adventure can fill. hold on tight, my dear, for your love is waiting for you, too.

Having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome sometimes feels about the equivalent of being composed of jello and wet spaghetti. Nothing stays where its supposed to. Literally every single cell in the body is floppy, so fingers are definitely an issue for many of us. I can almost guarantee that for the majority of us, writing is not only slow and painful but nearly impossible at times. FIne motor skills? What even are those? An EDSer surely doesn’t have any of those. Even typing which is far easier than writing, is painful and daunting at times. But last year I joined the population of shiny zebras by getting fitted for a set of Silver Rings Splints and they are beyond magical.

For those of you who have not heard of The Silver Ring Splint Company, they are a company that custom makes finger splints that look like elegant pieces of jewelry. Don’t believe me? Well I can’t even tell you how many compliments I’ve received for them. Nobody even suspects that they might possibly be medical. But more importantly, they work amazing! I still have hand pain and finger dislocations when performing fine motor skills and writing is definitely not something I look forward to but I have saved myself thousands of painful dislocations, I can open doors easier, type faster, write longer and hold objects in my hands without looking like an alien from a sic-fi movie. With the rings on my fingers actually look like fingers rather than tentacles!

The company is also family owned and the people are so sweet and helpful!

If you are having trouble with hand pain, clumsiness and dislocations please check out this amazing company!

btw: she’s in the upcoming Black Widow movie 😍 and—

I’m…

I need…