You Do Not Look Sick

You Do Not Look Sick What does that mean anyway? What would you like me to look like? Do you need me to dress different, walk different, talk different? Why do you expect proof of my illness? It is not a badge of honor. Is it wrong that I place time and effort into my personal appearance, don’t you? Maybe I clean up oh so nice because I have been told that I look sick for a good portion of my life. I fight hard so that I am not defined by my illness. This illness has minimized my opportunities, my self-awareness and your awareness of me too and now that I have broken through the clutch of not looking well, do you want me to prove that I am sick by looking sick? If my life had a voice and it spoke to you of my journey, you wouldn’t believe it and because of God’s grace, you cannot see it. Because my scars have healed and love shields me. Thank God I do not look like what I’ve been through and what I am fighting through. I wanted to let you know that nobody has a perfect life, some less than others. Let’s rephrase this “you don’t look sick” declaration to say “you look good today.” You just might bring some sunshine into someone’s cloudy day.   Marie Ojiambo, PharmD Founder Sickle Strong Initiative Horsham, Pennsylvania, United States