started moving at half-speed and gently placed my warm hands on every part of my body, pausing and lingering at the places with pain or injury that I was there to investigate. Feet first, then ankles, shins, knees, hips, belly, and chest, then my neck, scalp, and finally my hands came to rest on my cheeks as I met my own gaze in the mirror. I was standing there, hands tenderly on my face, like a mother would place her hands on the face of her beloved child. To the parts that were hurting, that had worked hard, had endured, survived, were afraid, I said aloud to all of me, “Well done. You have
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