Chelsea Cristene

I reject the insistence that a woman can’t choose what makes her feel beautiful without regard for the judgement of others.

This article first appeared on Role Reboot and has been republished with permission. 

I was a band geek in high school. In exchange for the Saturdays we spent at various competitions all over the state, we would get an occasional “down” day to watch a movie or just hang out in the band room. These were lazy days filled with giggles and gossip, and on one day in particular, kisses with my friend Jessica.

Jessica was cute and kind and one year younger than me. “I don’t see anything wrong when girls kiss girls,” she said as we sat cross-legged on the tile floor: something that you’re never supposed to think let alone say out loud in a small conservative town. “Neither do I!” I agreed. And there it was – a smooch!

Wanting a child and wanting to experience childbirth are two very different things.

Illness is intensely personal, but it never affects the person diagnosed alone.

I realized that allergies, much like mental health, are largely misunderstood and often dismissed as trivial or exaggerated.