As someone who’s chronically ill, it’s easy to get lost in my feels when I see others my age doing normal late 20s things: getting drinks with friends, dating, getting married, booking vacations, buying houses, starting families, and just being independent in general. I’ve been chronically ill for as long as I can remember, but I especially feel like my life has been on pause since my late teens when I couldn’t ignore my illness any longer. I’ve lost years of my life to not feeling well, chasing diagnoses, and now healing. I’m grateful for my close circle of friends and family who I can count with my fingers on one hand. And I’m grateful for the provision of social media leading me to endless friends, chronically ill and not. I have such a wonderful community of you all. I know life has many seasons and this is my season of staying home, not having a social life, and not doing much recreationally. I feel like a light who’s been turned off, but will be turned on again. Dormant for now. Over the past few years, I’ve had a lot of time to myself to learn more about me. I’ve learned to romanticize simple pleasures and in the mess of it all, I really haven’t been happier in my life. I’m better than before. I’m really really looking forward to 2023. 🫶🏻