We are not all in this together. We should be. But we’re not. And we never will be. Some of us have more privilege in this pandemic than others. It’s not fair, but that’s the way it is. Any privilege that we have was lucked into, not earned, and it is our responsibility to use our privilege in order to bring all of us as close to “in this together” as possible ..read more

Great new, everyone! I am fully recovered from H1N1! Now Catherine, you might be thinking, why are you talking about H1N1? Don’t you mean COVID-19? H1N1 was 11 years ago! Wrong pandemic, girl. No, I do not mean COVID-19. I mean H1N1. I am well aware that H1N1 was 11 years ago because I am well aware of when H1N1 changed the course of my life. I’m “fully recovered” from it, though. I was unable to finish my university degree, I’m unable to work, I’m a part-time wheelchair user, I take a couple dozen prescription medications, I am fed and hydrated daily through an IV in my chest and three times ..read more

I don’t know how to explain what it feels like to watch people who you know are a higher priority for healthcare resources than you are, cavalierly and selfishly behave in a way that threatens your safety ..read more

I just wanted to actually finish up these thoughts to share with you because these are uncertain times and uncertain times bring with them lots of feelings and I want you to know that it’s okay to sit with them, to really feel them. We’re all feeling them. It’s okay to not always feel okay right no ..read more

Life is so much more accessible to me when I’m sitting down. And so my word of the year this year is not a word but a phrase and that phrase is “take a seat ..read more

One of the biggest lessons this decade of being sick has taught me has been about acceptance, that acceptance is neither all or nothing, nor is it an endpoint. We hear about the stages of grief and we think that once we’ve reached acceptance then that’s it. We’re done. We did it. We've grieved. Next. In my experience, that’s really not how it works ..read more

If you’ve ever wanted to be a donor…have ever thought about being a donor…are a registered donor who has been meaning to make another donation…or are right now considering it for the first time, I encourage you to please take some action ..read more

I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say that I didn’t lose my first grandparent, my mom’s dear dad, until I was 25 years old. Not many people can say that. And I didn’t just have grandparents that were still alive, but I had them in my life, nearby. Nearby enough, anyway. My entire ..read more

Was I was supposed to see myself in that last sprout? Making its way more slowly than everyone else, at times not sure if it would every find its way out of the dark soil, fragile but feisty…? Nah. This is not one of those it’s-okay-to-go-at-your-own-pace-don’t-worry-about-what-anyone-else-around-you-thinks-or-is-doing posts ..read more

Ten years ago today I stood in front my of high school graduating class at our commencement ceremony and I delivered the valedictory speech. I don’t remember what I said, just that I almost certainly said all of it too quickly ..read more