Let the Light Shine In: The Best Advice a Doctor Could Give Me
Some of my biggest lessons have come from my toughest messes. To me, that’s the best way to grow. It’s the best way to move forward and come to terms with the…
Life, One Cup at a Time
— Alyssa Silva
Alyssa Silva is a writer based out of Providence, Rhode Island. She was diagnosed with SMA type 1 in 1991 when she was just 5 months old. Aside from writing, Alyssa is the chief creative officer for an intimates brand and runs a small business selling her artwork. In her free time, you can find her canceling plans to hang out with her golden retrievers, watching reruns of “The Office,” and convincing others why Taylor Swift is the greatest of all time.
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Defining ‘good health’ on my own terms
Last December, my brother kept badgering me about what I wanted for Christmas. I was so sick with a respiratory infection at the time that my only focus was on getting better, not a…
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Childhood Essays and Wishes that Become Reality
For the Silva family, cleaning out the basement in recent weeks has become a trip down memory lane. Pictures strewn in boxes tell stories of my childhood and how my parents did…
How My Occupational Therapist Changed My Life
As a child, during the summer months, the neighborhood kids and I spent our days on the corner of my yard selling lemonade to passersby. My mother would help us prepare…
My Diagnosis Day
My parents say it was another beautiful, sunny Saturday in April. They had two perfect children, a boy and a girl, like they had always wanted, and they couldn’t wait to finally…
My First Mistake of 2018
Coming to you, live from my couch and in yesterday’s clothes, this column is all about how I made a mistake. Truth be told, I’m not happy about admitting it. But with…
The Christmas Tree in the Bay Window
Growing up, there was a big bay window in the house where I lived. It overlooked the front yard and gave a great view of the surrounding houses and outside world. The…
Merry Flu Season
This morning, I woke up to a most unusual greeting from my mother. “Good morning. I want you to stay out of Massachusetts,” she said while removing the BiPAP from my nose.
Practicing Simplicity and Finding Peace Amid a Chaotic Life
As Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong softly sing Christmas classics in the background, I ask my mother to set me up on my iPhone so I can gear up to write another…
Wishing for Free Time
Free time is a beautiful and wonderful thing to have in a day. It allows time for the activities we love most, breaks up our days so we’re not wearing ourselves thin,…
The Season: Pneumonia Edition
Well, friends, today’s column is going to be unlike what you read here most in my little corner of the internet. That’s because this column is brought to you by endless…
Spare Me from Your Sippy Cup
Let’s start this column off in the most real way possible. I’m weird. And I’m not afraid to let everyone know. I’m not talking about my weirdly disproportionate head-to-body ratio or that…
Why I’m Grateful for Another Year
Birthdays take on a slightly different meaning around here. At this time every year, I think about a story my mother once told me about the first birthday I celebrated and wonder…
