Columns

It’s My Body: Why Unsolicited Comments Can Be Hurtful

It’s annoying — yes, freaking annoying — when strangers and even acquaintances feel compelled to comment on another person’s appearance. I’ve heard comments like, “Your skin looks better than the last time,” or “Your skin is worse than before, right?” Others might mention an increase in weight or someone might…

All I Want for Christmas Is Everything I Already Have

When thinking of a topic for this column, I considered writing on a winter theme. But then, when I think of December, Christmas comes to mind, rather than the season’s cold weather. Christmas for me is family and friends, drinking hot cocoa, wrapped in warm blankets, wearing fluffy socks, and…

I Look Forward to Telling My Epidermolysis Bullosa Story

I’ve been wanting to write about life with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) — my life as a so-called butterfly child — for a long time. But I never really knew how to start. Then I was asked to write a column. I was flattered, but I had to start thinking and…

With the End of Summer, I’m Starting A New Phase of My Life

This is the first autumn I’m spending at home in Vienna after living in Marbella, Spain, for over a year. I was lucky to be in Spain for two summers — and when I say summer, I mean it starts in May and ends in November. But now I am…