09/17/2026
This photo doesn’t show you everything.
It doesn’t show the breaks every mile to check in with my body and catch my breath.
It doesn’t show the 30-minute nap I needed as soon as we made it back to the car.
It doesn’t show the calculations that can come with deciding whether something is worth the energy it might cost later.
That’s one of the complicated things about living with an invisible illness or chronic pain: people often see the moments when you’re able to participate. They don’t always see what it took to get there—or what it takes for your body to recover afterwards.
And sometimes that invisibility can make it difficult to feel understood. You may hear, “But you looked fine,” or wonder whether you need to justify why you can do something one day and not another. Bodies aren’t always predictable. Our capacity can change from day to day, and doing something meaningful doesn’t necessarily mean it was easy and without cost.
There can be joy in what your body lets you experience— like hiking to beautiful lakes in Colorado— but still frustration with what it requires from you afterward.
Both truths can exist at the same time. It’s just about recognizing what you need in the moment to continue.
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Anxiety • Chronic Illness • Life Transitions
