Joni Edelman

It doesn’t get any more difficult to insult ourselves, regardless of how old we are. It would be ideal if it got easier to respect ourselves, but it generally doesn’t do that either. Every year you age, and every year the aging you looks at the you of the years before and thinks, I can’t believe I thought I was fat/ugly/etc.

In honor of World Bipolar Day, I present a sample stream of consciousness based on my experiences living with this disorder.

1. All vaginas are good vaginas.

You should know that she is a really awesome human.

At certain points in the month I definitely feel worse about my body. I'm much less confident and more prone to eating the wrong things, and not doing physical exercise.

As a stay-at-home mom, I've made plenty of sacrifices. Where are my accolades?

My decision to bed-share with my children despite potential SIDS risks has less to do with studies, and more to do with instinct.

I am tired of taking medication. I am tired of relying on the manufactured versions of the chemicals and hormones my body could — should? — make for itself.

When you push a small human out of your body, things tend to get a little weird.

As long as I can remember having paid attention to the media, I can remember a woman's weight—or body in general—being a news story.