I believe the month of May is Lupus awareness month. Since I have Lupus and being forgetful is a symptom, it's embarrassingly funny that I can't remember. So we'll pretend it's either ending, or starting, because it could be June instead of May.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that makes your immune system hyper-aware. So it's like being allergic to yourself, and your body attacks your hands, or your heart instead of the flu virus raging in you. More people have Lupus than MS, but you probably don't know as much about it. We don't get the funding or hype.

I should hate having Lupus, and most of the time, I do. Sunshine is the bane of my existence, and like a vampire I stick to the shadows. No, I don't sparkle. The sun makes me ill, so I feel like a wind-up toy that's been robbed of energy but no one will wind me back up. Sunshine also damages my kidneys and heart. I don't feel the kidney stuff, but I do feel the fluid when it builds around my heart. Thankfully, I feel pretty good right now.

The only reason I don't mind having Lupus is it's the reason I began writing. I needed a rest time, and decided to write while I rested. The years weren't kind but now I'm in a place where I can write again. I send my characters all the places where I can't go--the beach, tropical places, even picnics, sex out in a meadow. Too much risk for me.

So today I ask you to wear your sunscreen, put on a hat, and go outside for me. If you know someone with Lupus, see if you can give them a hand with something. But for me, you can go outside and maybe even just read a book.