chronic pain – Surprised By Joy

“What a good day to be proud of all the progress you made.” – unknown

Last week, my six-year-old son, Mr. D accidentally stepped on a bee and got stung. “Oh, my life is over,” he repeatedly moaned as I struggled to pick out the stinger. And he’s my less dramatic child. Yowsa – those stings hurt.

But most of the pain was gone in an hour and while the swelling and itchiness lasted about four days, there was a clearly an end in sight. How do you still show up when the pain is chronic? What does it mean to keep showing up when life asks more of you than seems possible?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I talk with Kathryn M. B. Johnson, author of Invisible, Until I’m Not, a memoir-in-essays about chronic illness, caregiving, grief, and resilience. Together, we explore what it means to live with fibromyalgia and invisible illness, how caregiving reshapes identity, and why being seen matters so deeply when pain is hard to explain.

Our conversation offers honest insight, emotional validation, and hope for anyone navigating chronic pain, caregiver burnout, loss, or the daily work of endurance.

Key Takeaways:

Chronic illness can reshape identity, relationships, and daily life in ways that are often invisible to others.
Caregiving is an act of love, but it also carries grief, exhaustion, and the need for self-compassion.
Writing can become a lifeline—a way to process pain, preserve connection, and reclaim a sense of self.
Being believed and truly seen matters deeply for people living with chronic pain or complex health conditions.
Rest is not laziness; caring for yourself is part of being able to care for others.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful podcast episode about chronic illness, caregiving, trauma, faith, and finding strength in difficult seasons, this episode is for you.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch Liza’s amazing journey:

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Click this link to watch in a browser: How Writing Helps Save Us From Chronic Illness and Loss
Subscribe to The Life of Try on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeoftry

Melissa Arnot Reid on Enough: Why No Summit Can Prove Your Worth – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What if the biggest summit is learning that you were alreadyenough?In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon sits down with renowned mountaineer, guide, and author Melissa Arnot Reid to discuss her memoir, Enough, and the inner journey behind an extraordinary climbing career. Melissa—who became the first American woman to summit Mount Everest and descend without supplemental oxygen—opens up about achievement,shame, belonging, vulnerability, and self-acceptance.Melissa shares how writing her memoir helped bring hiddenparts of her life into the light, why public success can mask private struggle, and why we cannot achieve our way into feeling worthy. She and Wynne explore “mountain goddess” leadership, mentoring with curiosity instead of judgment,balancing tenderness with firmness, and the courage to show up when life is painful or uncertain.This warm, honest conversation offers a powerful shift fromvalidation-seeking to values-driven living. It is for climbers, memoir readers, ambitious women, leaders, parents, and anyone working to replace perfectionism with self-compassion.Listen for an inspiring conversation about Mount Everest,personal growth, women in leadership, resilience, healing through writing, and the freedom of knowing that no summit can make you more worthy than you already are.Follow The Life of Try on Spotify, share this episodewith someone who needs it, and keep showing up, staying curious, and trying.