Living with a chronic illness is often hard to explain—especially one that’s not visible. Pain, depression, fatigue, anxiety, digestive problems, sensitivities, and migraines can come out of nowhere and leave us sitting on the sidelines of life or putting on a brave smile and faking the funk. It’s difficult for people to understand what they can't see and haven't felt. Christine Miserandino, an award-winning blogger with Lupus, used a handful of spoons as units of energy to explain how every task demands a certain amount of mental, emotional, and physical energy and how quickly those with chronic illness can run out of it or wake up with a fraction of what someone normally has.  Some days, getting out of bed, brushing hair, and even putting on clothes can be too much. This analogy and accepting how to manage my illness became my vehicle for recovery. To learn more, check out my About Me page.