It is constant. This dull ache that hums when I’m still and whistles when I move. This pain has been my unrelenting companion for months, and this morning I was done. Bankrupt of positivity. Spent from smiling through the burning, of pretending that I don’t feel like a prisoner in my own, failing body. Lingering pain is the thief of joy. Often it’s not enough to examine your blessings, or compose mantras of gratitude. On the contrary, I am now more acutely aware of these trea