I Used to Wonder Why Her Illness Got Empathy and Mine Got Shame

Beyond the Arc: Reflections on Resilience, Identity, & Life Podcast · Sep 5, 2026 · 8m · transcript

There’s no greater feeling to me than being loved unconditionally.

I thought about love a lot over the past week, after I was lucky enough to see Bruno Mars’ Romantic Tour concert. As Bruno sang one song after another about love, I was truly moved by his passion for sharing his musical talents with the world.

I’m getting ready to go on vacation, so I wasn’t sure I’d write one more essay before taking a break from my everyday life. But I was so moved by an old friend’s video that I decided to take to the page and express my overwhelming gratitude to the pets and people who have loved me.

Let…