My Life in Hives: How a Recent Outbreak Taught Me to Love My Body by Brittany Moffatt

Hives are transient and fleeting beings. They pop up in one section only to disappear in an hour, then return to another site full of itching and burning fire. I have a severe allergy to sulfa drugs. Luckily, I had managed to escape its grasp for 90 percent of my life.

I barely remember when I was 5 years old and had a rash that covered my back. Twenty-seven years later, as I drifted in and out of consciousness looking at my blistered, aching body in the mirror, did I remember the antibiotics I had started taking and realized what was happening.

I spent most of my 20s hating my thighs, hips and whatever else some marketing campaigns told me to despise. What I learned this week with this attack gave me such great insight as to what is truly valuable about our bodies – love! The ability to love.

In that bathroom, terrified, alone, on fire, I just wanted to touch my babies without wanting to cut my hands off. I wanted to kiss my husband and hug my parents and friends. I didn’t want bigger boobs, skinnier thighs or a tiny waste. Those things are as momentary as the hives.

A beautiful friend with breast cancer once talked eloquently about always finding a silver lining. She was right. There it was. The truth about our purpose in life was our love. Our purpose is to see past our pain and spread and give love and light.

If you can hug, be happy. If you can love, you are free! Go boldly into your life and enjoy.

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