Ohhh I love this so much - (and once again, I'm ten days late finding it) -
This is what we ALL need to tell ourselves:
You are kind. You are smart. You are beautiful. You are not shit and you will be fine, as fine as any human born in this era can be. You will learn how to give things, important things, to yourself. You will learn how to give things, precious things, to others. You will be whole, and you will be healthy.
The WAY this is written is as brilliant as the content.
I'm in awe that you didn't even start writing much, or think of yourself as a writer, until very recently - until being adopted by @freewritehouse. Thank you @mariannewest for rescuing these rogue writers and bringing them into this community! And thank you @owasco for sharing so many deeply personal, poignant memories and insights.

Not to trust science... that one is hard for me. Science was my only god for so long. I even trusted doctors, though it started shifting in 1985, and by 1995, when two doctors sent me home saying "That's not pneumonia" but I knew it was.... yeah. Anything they couldn't solve with Paint-by-Number was just "in your head." Now my nieces, half my age, have more wisdom than I do about herbology and natural remedies. (Yes, I'm taking note!)

The father's voice rings so true. The Greek words. The labels. The tree limb, the hiding places, the shattered self esteem.

I wish your children well - and you - and thank you again for sharing this!