“I paused in the silence after he left the room. Weak as I was, I knew a relationship of care would not override my sovereignty. “ Revisiting a moment that showed the importance of bodily autonomy and collective care.

Perhaps the secret to healing is very much like the secret to a good joke . . . timing. If we’re paying attention, there are a thousand right-timed moments which might offer us a kinder way of meeting ourselves. Moments where we choose, against all odds and training, to be our own ally.

When we push ourselves into shapes we cannot make, we leave our body - and its knowing - behind. When we only listen to the part that wishes this all away, we are wishing ourselves away. Our bodies keep demanding that we live into the stories they’re actually telling.