No Need for Apologies

You are going to disappoint people and that is okay. You will cancel plans. You will leave early. You will forget things because your brain is foggy and your body is loud. And somewhere along the way you may start apologizing for existing as you are. I’m sorry I’m tired. I’m sorry I can’t eat that. I’m sorry I need to rest. But your symptoms are not a character flaw. Pain is not a moral failure. Fatigue is not laziness dressed up in medical language. When you apologize for your limits, you are agreeing that your worth is measured by output, availability, and convenience. It is not! Your body has drawn a boundary for you, and that boundary is not rude. It is real. You are allowed to take up space while moving slowly. You are allowed to protect your energy without explaining the entire medical backstory. You are allowed to exist without performing health for other people’s comfort. Chronic illness already takes enough from you. You do not need to hand over your dignity too. Next time it arises, think twice if that apology is really necessary as you don’t have to apologize for you being you.

Dr. Jeffrey Bone