I told my husband this a couple weeks ago and he chuckled, then said, “I’m really glad.”

It’s such a simple joy, and something most people don’t appreciate. In fact for a lot of my life I didn’t either. But doing homework creates a special world for me now. A world where I am not held back by the limitations of my body. My classmates and professors don’t know I have RA. They don’t know I’m undergoing medical menopause. They don’t know I take lithium to stay mentally stable. And they have no reason to know, because when I enter the world of academia, none of that matters. In my online classes I am no different than everyone else. I am just as likely to succeed. Just as capable. Just as strong. I am unlimited.

So sitting down to do homework everyday is like a break from my physical body. Sure I still feel the pain, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and mood swings, but feeling them doesn’t impact my ability to work. Unlike my other duties as a wife and mom and human being, which require use of my physical faculties.

When I’m a student I can rest my body and exercise my mind. A mind that is strong and eager –hungry even for stimulation. And it is total bliss. I can forget about all the things I can’t do, and focus on the infinite things I can do.