Our culture tells us that the body is a problem to solve.
Youthful, thin, and shining is the ideal, and to attain it, we should take this supplement, wear this waist cincher, or use that miracle face cream. Day after day, year after year, we chase this perfect state of being. The body must be constantly manipulated, kept up, and improved.
Yet at some point, life intrudes, unmasking the illusion we’re being sold by the beauty and wellness industrial complexes. My liberation began at age 22, in the summer of 2011. I was back in my hometown after two months in the hospital being treated for leukemia, but I was sicker than ever. In anticipation of beginning a clinical trial, my doctors sent me home to rest and gain strength.…
