1. Truth: Having a human body can be so confusing. I can’t talk to it. I can’t see inside. I don’t even really understand how most of it works. And yet, I’m it’s primary caretaker. Sometimes that seems like a really, really bad idea, and most of the time I’m just guessing at what it needs, hoping to get it right.

2. Truth: Other people can help me work with and understand my body. There are amazing, smart, kind people that I can consult with, who know so much more about how things work, have more experience with my particular injuries and illnesses. It’s so helpful, (although every once in awhile, they might add to my confusion).

3. Truth: I am doing the best I can. I’m putting in as much effort as I’m able. I’m paying attention, trying to listen, attempting to understand. I’m open to learning, to adjusting as necessary. I’m trying to drop my agenda about how I want things to be. I’m being gentle, most of the time.

One wish: May we accept our bodies for what they are, vulnerable and impermanent, but also steady and resilient — as Mary Oliver calls them, “a lion of courage, something precious to the earth.”