That’s the thing about perfectionism. When you chase something unattainable, you complete a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even if you’re the kind of person who acknowledges the arbitrariness of a new year and refuses to set goals according to the calendar, odds are that a few weeks ago, your social media was full of Top Nines, fresh […]
In my mind, if I do not incessantly succeed, people have no reason to rely on me. Believe in me. Love me. A childhood nickname made me who I am today. Well, at the very least, it started me on a path that, nearly 25 years later, I am still on. In fifth grade, when […]
At the end of every conversation with her, every word of encouragement, note about her intellect, her creativity, her place in my world, is the undertone of fear that I will raise a daughter like me. Once, my 6-year-old daughter told me that her friend was better than she was. Not that he was better […]
For everything I can’t do, there are a dozen other things I can. The difference is that society has taught me to value productivity over character. There’s never been a time I didn’t know I was different — or at least not one I can remember. As an infant, I instinctively reached for things with […]
If our bodies tell the stories of our lives, we need to let them say more than that we are desired. About two years ago, a Facebook friend of mine began posting tastefully erotic pictures of fat women. The first time that I saw one in my feed, I physically cringed. I was not feeling […]
