Tag Archives: living with

Lessons From My Mother

Posted on January 21, 2026 by Jennie Spotila

Eleven years ago today, my mother died. I can’t believe it’s been that long. Ten years ago, I wrote a list in my journal of some of the things she taught me. It was a brain dump, an attempt to … Continue reading →

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Best Reads of 2025

Posted on December 29, 2025 by Jennie Spotila

It’s that time of year again, when everyone releases their Best Of lists. Reading in 2025 was quite different for me compared to previous years. I dumped more books than usual (10) and I read more, too (71). My resolution … Continue reading →

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Getting Through the Holidays with ME

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Jennie Spotila

My dad saw me addressing holiday cards a few days after Thanksgiving. “You’re SO organized!” he said, half admiringly and half chidingly. Law school accentuated my natural tendency to be organized, but ME made it more intense. “I HAVE to … Continue reading →

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Favorite Reads of 2024

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Jennie Spotila

Now that I have been tracking my reading for a few years, it’s interesting to look at the trends. I read sixty books in 2024, only a bit more than 2023 and 2022. That surprised me because I thought I … Continue reading →

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Waylaid

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Jennie Spotila

Almost five years after the first cases of COVID-19 in China, I finally got it. Honestly, I expected this test to be positive for flu. My husband and I had been testing COVID negative on rapid antigen tests for days. … Continue reading →

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Hello, Stranger

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Jennie Spotila

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer last October, I had grand plans: I would blog through my surgery and whatever treatment followed. I was hungry for examples of other people with ME who had been through cancer treatment, especially … Continue reading →

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Favorite Reads of 2023

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Jennie Spotila

Listen, I know that everyone posted their favorite books of 2023 already. I wanted to as well, but my recovery from breast cancer surgery took longer than I anticipated, and now I’m getting radiation treatment. However, I still really want … Continue reading →

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Enough

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Jennie Spotila

I’ve been waiting until I felt well enough to post about my breast cancer surgery and recovery, about the treatment I will begin in January. I have words to say about experiencing the healthcare system as a person with cancer … Continue reading →

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“I have cancer”

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Jennie Spotila

I told my husband last week, “It’s just as hard to tell people you have cancer as it is to find out you have cancer in the first place.” So, let me take a deep breath and say: I have … Continue reading →

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29

Posted on October 7, 2023 by Jennie Spotila

I got sick on October 6, 1994. Writing a memoir that spans almost three decades requires a lot of self-reflection, not only about what I’ve been through but about the choices I made, what I got wrong, and what I … Continue reading →

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