Columns

My Unsolved Symptoms Add Flair to My Rare

These days, I’ve been soaking up all the true crime content I can set my eyes and ears on. Documentaries, podcasts, “Dateline” episodes that I now look forward to every Friday night — I’ve become engrossed in real-life stories about missing persons and murders. More specifically, I have become hooked…

How a Head Cold Saved My Life (Figuratively)

We all know that I hate getting up early. Just like I hate adjusting to a new wheelchair — I’ll do it if I have to, but that doesn’t mean I won’t complain about it. So you can imagine my dismay when my caregiver sent me the most dreaded…

A Rare Disease Traveler Finds Her Village

I was once a rare traveler wandering the countryside. On my shoulders, I carried a basket of artifacts and relics. Each piece correlated to moments in my life when I’ve felt something within my heart — things both small or grand, benevolent or wicked — falling deep and deliberate like…

Searching for the Wisdom to See Challenges in New Ways

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could easily put into practice the lessons we learned growing up? We were taught to think about the effects of our decisions, but sometimes it is difficult to know how our actions may affect the lives of other people. For those of us with…

Learning to Cherish My Fortunes in the Year of the Ox

It is my yearly Chinese New Year tradition to complain about Chinese New Year. As with all honored traditions, this one goes back to my earliest memories of the holiday: My mum’s footsteps echoing throughout our house as she cooked breakfast before the sun rose. The…