Sex and Politics: Safe, Covered, and Totally Satisfied.

Sometimes I have to compare politics to sex. Politics can be confusing and scary, but when I look at it from a biological point of view, somehow everything seems to fall into place. Therefore, if this ongoing debate between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama is one romp in the sack, then Thursd

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Essay: Contributing Passion

I recently discovered my passion in life. I also bought a giant poster for my dorm that says “PASSION” on the bottom, just to remind myself of why I am living. If you are not passionate about life, then you are not living at all. I used to think that having a chronic illness was simply a burden

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ACCEPTANCE OF MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

An essay submitted by one of our readers. Denial serves a wonderful psychological purpose. Thus the “NO!! ” when someone gets terrible news. It is nature’s built in kindness to buffer the inevitable. Slowly, carefully, each according to his or her own psyche, we absorb the pain. There ar

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Well 2007 is over and now we open the book on 2008

Well 2007 is over and now we open the book on 2008. Story unwritten, only the prologue from last year on the pages. What will you be filling the pages with on yours? I have done a lot of thinking. I have been through so much in the last few years, that I really want to push my effort through, to mak

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Personal Essay: Baby Steps, People

Most of my friends admire me for what I accomplish. Those closest to me know my deepest horror stories, and most embarrassing moments concerning my disease. Having an inflammatory bowel disease is not a pretty picture- or a pretty smell either. It puts extreme limits on your everyday life, and makes

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Humor: Everything I need to know, I learned from my 4 year old.

Ever see those posters saying "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten?" Well my son is four, only in pre-school, and has taught me a ton. I find this particularly humorous, because this is the kid who insists he can go on a field trip to the future. (I usually tell him Why not?!) Her

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Essay: On Higher Ground

My tree stand was custom-built just for me. If I was going to continue sitting out in the woods every fall, I had to have something I could handle. Rheumatoid arthritis made a ladder stand impossible for me to climb, so my husband designed one with steps just six inches apart. Now, despite my han

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What is the meaning of giving?

We are coming upon the time of year when people are more giving and thoughtful of their fellow humans all around them. A time of year where people reflect on their lives and wonder what a new year may bring. So where did the other ten months go? What is so different about now? Something about the

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Essay: In Praise of Ringo Starr

Let’s face it: struggling with an invisible disease like Epstein-Barr and Chronic Fatigue can make you feel “Less Than”. Less Than Normal. Less Than Worthwhile. Less Than Zero. In fact, most people who believe in metaphysics (the idea that your inner thoughts create your outer circumstances) c

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Saying Good-bye

Ever since lung cancer forced Denise to become bed bound, Chili, my cocker spaniel, and I had been visiting on Friday afternoons. Chili jumped right up on the bed -- first sniffing for bits of food lost in the tangle of blankets and sheets and then curling up next to Denise for a nap. Over the mont

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