You apologize before you’ve even finished the sentence.

You’ve learned to. Somewhere along the way you figured out that people have a limit for how much of this they want to hear, so now you deliver the update in the shortest possible version, add a joke at the end so it doesn’t sit heavy, and say sorry for bringing it up at all. And then you go home and think about all the parts you left out. You shouldn’t have to ration yourself with people who love you. There’s a particular kind of relief in talking to a woman who doesn’t need the backstory. No explaining what a flare is. No watching her face to see if she believes you. No apologizing for the fifth cancellation, because she’s canceled six times herself this year. You just say the thing, and she says girl, I know, and something in your chest lets go. That’s the whole reason we do Wellness Week(end). Three days in Atlanta with a room full of women who have all been the one apologizing. October 30 through November 1, and nobody there is going to need the short version. Tag the woman who lets you unload without making you feel like a burden. And if you don’t have her yet, comment TICKET and let’s get you in the room where she is. #WeAreILLMatic #WellnessWeekend #BlackWomenWithMS #LupusAwareness #ChronicIllnessCommunity