5 Comments
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Paula Burke's avatar

"No one is counting but me" made me catch my breath...

I started reading and realized I needed to wait until I could give this essay my full attention. Beautiful, thank you for sharing.

Holly Wiel's avatar

Thank you so much <3

Sofia's avatar

This piece of writing made me say “Wow!”

Turning the exhaustion and the "smudges" of your medical history into a story as beautiful as that night fire is truly brave. You show what it feels like to be a "complex case" among strangers, but you still see hope in the cedar smoke and your son’s face. Thank you, Holly, for sharing this. It reminds me that even when our bodies don’t feel like home, what we create with our own hands can still be amazing.

Holly Wiel's avatar

Thank you so much for the kind words!

Jacqueline Smith's avatar

Thanks for sharing this very human thing. I felt the tenderness towards your son as you watched him sleep, all the while with your body betraying you.