“We spend so much time making sure our bodies are fed that we sometimes forget our souls get hungry too.”
We spend a lot of time talking about feeding our bodies.
Eating healthier.
Drinking more water.
Taking our vitamins.
Making better choices.
But this weekend reminded me that not every hunger can be satisfied with food.
Some of the deepest hunger we experience is for connection.
There are some meals you’ll forget by tomorrow…
But there are moments that feed your soul for years.
As much as I enjoy a good meal (and trust me, I do 😂), I realized that what I needed most wasn’t something served on a plate.
It was family.
It was hugs that lasted just a little longer than expected.
It was laughter so contagious that everyone nearby couldn’t help but smile.
It was conversations that picked up exactly where they left off, even if it had been months—or years—since we’d seen one another.
The smell of food on the grill drifted through the air while children laughed and ran from one table to the next. Across the pavilion, someone called out a cousin’s name, and within seconds another round of hugs and laughter followed. I watched our elders smile as they shared stories that have been told for years, while the younger generation unknowingly created stories they’ll one day tell themselves.
It wasn’t just a family reunion.
It was a reminder of where I come from…
And who I belong to.
Family isn’t just part of our story.
Sometimes, family is what reminds us who we are.
That’s the kind of nourishment no restaurant can serve.
💜 Healing Doesn’t Always Come in a Prescription Bottle
Living with chronic illness has taught me that there are many kinds of healing.
Doctors help heal our bodies.
Medications help manage our symptoms.
Treatments help us keep us moving forward.
But healing doesn’t always come in a prescription bottle.
Sometimes it comes wrapped in a hug.
Shared through laughter.
Found in conversations with people who’ve loved you your entire life.
Medicine helps me survive.
The people who love me remind me to keep living.
Being surrounded by people who know you, love you, and simply enjoy your presence has a way of restoring parts of you that you didn’t even realize had become exhausted.
As I sat there taking it all in, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” by McFadden & Whitehead started playing in my head.
Not because life has suddenly become perfect.
But because moments like these remind me that joy still belongs in my story.
Joy doesn’t erase chronic illness.
It simply reminds us that chronic illness doesn’t get to erase joy.
🌻 We Are More Than Our Diagnoses
Living with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis can sometimes make life feel smaller.
Plans change.
Energy disappears without warning.
Some days are spent conserving every ounce of strength just to make it through.
It’s easy to become so focused on doctor’s appointments, medications, lab work, and treatments that we forget we’re still allowed to enjoy life.
This weekend reminded me that I am more than my diagnoses.
I’m a daughter.
A cousin.
An aunt.
A friend.
An advocate.
A storyteller.
And judging by the amount of talking, laughing, hugging, and bouncing from one conversation to the next… apparently I’m still the family’s social butterfly. 😂
For a little while…
That’s exactly who I got to be.
Not the woman with Crohn’s Disease.
Not the woman with Myasthenia Gravis.
Just Kia.
And I didn’t realize how much I needed that until I experienced it.
💜 Time Is the Greatest Gift
The older I get, the more I realize that time may be life’s greatest blessing.
We can earn more money.
We can replace material things.
But we can never create more time with the people we love.
That’s why moments like these matter.
Long after the food is gone…
Long after the tables are folded…
Long after everyone has returned home…
The memories remain.
Sometimes those memories become exactly what we need to carry us through the difficult days ahead.
Family reunions are funny like that.
You show up planning to eat one sensible plate…
Then somebody insists you try their macaroni and cheese.
Another cousin swears their potato salad is the best.
Before you know it, you’ve sampled food from half the family and somehow convinced yourself those were all just “little bites.” 😂
The funny thing is…
The meal wasn’t what I’ll remember most.
The people were.
🌻 My Final Thoughts
My body will always have challenges.
Some days will be harder than others.
That’s simply part of my journey.
But this weekend reminded me that while my body occasionally needs medicine…
My soul needs people.
It needs laughter.
It needs love.
It needs connection.
It needs moments that remind me there is so much more to life than diagnoses and doctor’s appointments.
Now don’t get me wrong…
If there’s homemade macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and banana pudding involved, I’m absolutely feeding my body and my soul. 😂
But this weekend reminded me that the best thing I brought home wasn’t a full stomach.
It was a full heart.
And if my soul could talk today…
It would simply say,
“Thank you.”
Thank you for the hugs.
Thank you for the laughter.
Thank you for the conversations.
Thank you for the memories.
Because sometimes the richest meal we’ll ever receive isn’t served on a plate.
It’s served through love.
Through family.
Through laughter.
Through time together.
My body may still need medicine tomorrow.
It may still need rest.
It may still need grace.
But today…
My soul has been fed.
And that’s a meal I’ll carry with me for a very long time.
💜 Thank You for Reading
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry from The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey.
If this story resonated with you, reminded you to spend a little more time with the people you love, or encouraged you to nourish your soul as much as your body, please consider liking, subscribing, and sharing this diary entry.
Your support helps raise awareness about Crohn’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, polyautoimmunity, and the realities of living with invisible illnesses while celebrating the moments that make this journey worthwhile.
Together, we can educate, advocate, and remind others that no one has to navigate chronic illness alone.
Founder • Author • Advocate • Future Wellness Coach
Kia Lorice
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries 💜
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