Dear Body,

I know I wasn’t very good to you. I would stretch my limits to the point where they were almost ignored. Lifting those washers, dryers, and refrigerators on Monday mornings at that retail store I used to work for probably didn’t help you out too much. Forgive me. I was young and foolish, but what choice did we really have at that time?

I needed to pay off college and send you to the doctor, and the only way to do that was to get paid from the only employer willing to hire a snotty-nosed college grad at the time. We could have tried to smile pretty at the nice doctors, but I don’t think that would have gotten us through the waiting room door.

You, of course, have never been the patient type, but did you have to trash my knees? I know that I wasn’t listening too well, but I kind of need those to walk with. And since we are on the subject, what’s up with curling my fingers to the point where I can’t open jars or write? How about my head? Does it have to be so cluttered all the time? And why do I have to be tired all the time too?

Do you really need that much of a vacation from the stresses of day-to-day life? Or are you going to tell me how much you hate fast food again? Listen, I know that stuff isn’t the greatest, but sometimes it’s all I can afford for you. I can’t wine and dine you on 90% lean organic meat all the time, and let’s not even go into how much organic chicken is going for these days.

How about I make a promise to you that we can both keep? What if I try to think of you a little more often and feed you what you want and need. I’ll try very hard not to neglect the fact that you need a break from work now and then. Heck, I’ll even try to give you some exercise and hydrate you with water instead of caffeine too.

I’m willing to try; you know I am. I’m not just saying it this time; I really mean it. Please don’t keep shutting me out. I know I can do better for you.

Love,
Kimberley

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Kimberley Linstruth-Beckom started writing for extra credit in the fourth grade. She was bad in math and tried to compensate that fact with poetry and short story writing. Kimberley has had various poems and articles published on the internet, as well as, five books and several blogs. She resides in Connecticut with her husband, two daughters, two cats, two frogs, and several tropical fish and plants.

Tags: body, disease, illness, pain