In contravention of all cultural mores, Julia expressed gratitude for her rheumatoid arthritis. “It saved me,” she said. “It was my body’s way of saying, ‘Wake up, wake up. You’re not helping yourself holding this much anger and rage deep down inside.’ Anger and rage are not feelings I want to hold on to, but I do see them as guides that let me know that something in my life is out of balance. I get [rheumatoid] flare-ups maybe once a year now. When one shows up, I just accept that it’s here and there is something I can do about it, something more to learn from it.” This is a profound
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