My husband was out of town for a few days for work, and I realized how much he does to help me. Purely existing when he is not there is more challenging than I realized. It's a constant 'would you rather?' game chronic illness forces me to play. Would you rather shower, or get the trash cans inside?

Recently, someone from the HOA sent us a picture of our trash cans still out, a 'visible failure' of an 'invisible struggle.' It reminded me that the world often only sees the messy yard, the forgotten chores, or the tired eyes. They don't see the monumental effort behind them. They just say, 'try harder.'

But what I've learned is that I am trying. I'm putting everything I have into this failing report card. My hope is that by sharing my story, we can all learn to look at others with more empathy and less judgment.