Monday August 24, 2026 | What is the greatest gift you could give another person?

Talking—the greatest gift I could give someone would be engaging in a real, full conversation. I’d feel accomplished, but also a bit sad for not realizing it sooner. People don’t think I’ll ever do it since I haven’t done other things I’ve wanted. How would I even get there? Will my family give me a ride? The look my sister gave me the other day was dead serious. Do I think she’ll let me live with her and her husband? No way! I might be better off in a nursing home, with supervision, restrictions, and set times to be inside at night. Now she’s thinking about putting me in one—or worse, a psych ward. I’ve never gotten to do what I wanted. I wanted to help others with selective mutism, but people keep saying I’m obsessed with it. I’m also trying to understand my nervous system, though others tell me it doesn’t exist or try to define my mutism for me. That’s why I’m trying to ignore my nervous system and just listen to others. My stress keeps climbing, and so will my A1C—probably an 8 next doctor visit. People think peanut butter has cholesterol, but it doesn’t—it’s 0 mg. Sure, it has fat, which can raise cholesterol, I think. I just want to know—can stress, anxiety, cortisol, and adrenaline raise blood sugar and blood pressure? I love exercising for my mental health, but I kept gaining weight—turned out it was just water retention. My doctor gave me a diuretic, and after constant trips to the bathroom, I felt like my whole body deflated. I lost 3 pounds at Weight Watchers, all water weight, but still, it felt like progress.