As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, I find myself thinking about the conversations that have been surfacing everywhere lately—from group therapy, healing circles to public healthcare meetings. The topic? The spoon theory. And more importantly, how protecting our energy isn't just self-care fluff, but a radical act of survival and self-advocacy for those of us living with chronic pain and disability.

Living with chronic pain and illness is one of life’s greatest challenges. It’s not just the physical limitations or the relentless..