"In the past 18 months I: received a late-in-life autism diagnosis, lost my dog to cancer and found out my husband is leaving me. I've shouldered the brunt of a loved-one's depression while trying to sort out how to address and manage my autism. I've had my heart shattered in numerous ways, to a painful depth I never knew possible. I've been betrayed in ways I took for granted would never happen, and saw my life spinning out of control with no discernible way to stop it. But somehow the chaos became calm, the fear became resolve, the sadness became strength, the tears became lessons learned, the panic became peace, and the anxiety became self-confidence. I don't know why women are called the weaker sex because 10 times out of 10, they're the most resilient people I've ever met. Today I choose myself."
- Jess