Sometimes, when pain and fatigue are flaring, I am entirely homebound. This is a reality I must accept, and attending outside events cannot serve as my only indicator of a positive month. At the same time, my days at home need more than the easy tasks from my ever-growing to-do list. I need a way to plan that doesn’t conserve my best energy for activities outside the home.

My grandma once said, "First years don't always follow a traditional calendar year, Honey.” I like to remember her words when the rhythm of life inaugurates a new era. A tender loss, triumphant start, or unexpected move—the seasons of life turn, turn, turn.

Monitoring my health symptoms sometimes feels like I’ve met the wolf that ate Little Red Riding Hood’s grandma. The responsibility is daunting and monstrous, and I forget why I’m doing it. One day, I figured I would track my symptoms on paper to identify patterns. I learned that this strategy is called “control journaling.”