My love of reading began when I was young with comic books. I was drawn to stories about unlikely heroes; people born to do great things based on a mutation that was given to them by God or man. I didn’t know then that I’d have so much in common with the characters that jumped off the page at me.

As my own autoimmune disease continued to morph and flourish, I thought about those stories and the lessons within. The most powerful one was that I’m not alone. There are other people out there like there; people who need the unique perspective about life because of the condition that plagues me. I discovered I can and should use my perceived “defect” to lift others up by showing them that doing remarkable things and making dramatic changes in the world are possible no matter what your affliction.

This year, I’m dressed as Deadpool for Halloween. He’s a reluctant hero born from out of necessity. He’s determined to beat an insidious disease that threatens his life. Honestly, I also identify with his potty mouth, marksmanship, sarcasm, devotion to his loved one and desire to protect the vulnerable.

Here is my favorite Deadpool quote:

“Four or five moments – that’s all it takes to become a hero… Over a lifetime there are only four or five moments that really matter. Moments when you’re offered a choice to make a sacrifice, conquer a flaw, save a friend – spare an enemy. In these moments everything else falls away…”

#HappyHalloween #Halloween2019 #Deadpool #ThursdayThoughts #Cancersucks #invisibleillness #chronicillness #chronicpain #disability #autoimmunedisease #spoonie #NeverTooOldToHaveFun