Pillars of Vitality

This is a collection of dispatches from a life lived in the "in-between." Here, poetry doesn't hide the misery of our daily existence. These poems are for the spouses, the caregivers, and the ones lying under the blanket wondering if there’s anywhere safe. Sometimes they are heavy, and sometimes they find a strange, absurd humor in the struggle. Watch and listen when you need to know you aren’t the only one suffering.

(Link is to one example)

Writing the poem is only the first step. In these reflections, I pull the "vitality-nourishing practices" out of the pain. I offer honest commentary on the struggle of living with chronic conditions while celebrating the small, quiet "wins" that happen when we engage in life-nourishing rituals. This is where we frame the struggle in a supportive context—turning a "concussion-rich environment" into a space where we can actually learn to breathe again.

Simple, nervous-system-regulatory moves—Qigong and abdominal breathing—designed for people who are afraid of being sidelined by a longer more complex workout. We invigorate the blood and breath to "shape-shift" into a better state without a new setback.