The Invisible Illness

Dear Delyara, My 'Grind' is an illness that no one can see. I look 'fine,' but every step is a battle with pain. The 'Shadow' is the skepticism of friends and bosses who think I’m 'just tired' or 'lazy.' The 'Storm' is the mental toll of losing the person I used to be—the one who could run and dance. I reached a 'Crossroads' of bitterness: do I hate the world for not understanding, or do I find a new way to live? My Victoria is the community I built online for others with the same struggle. I found a new purpose in the dark. The victory is that my value isn't tied to what my body can do, but to what my spirit can give.