Lost and Found in the Medicine Cabinet

Some unusually revealing morning rituals

For some people, coffee is the only medicine their morning requires. But for a lot of us, the morning is a complex space populated by the routines and rituals we know we must perform in order to function.

Some days, it can be disheartening to have to go through these routines, knowing they are not our choice, knowing they are as vital and inescapable as the blood inside us. Other days, we barely notice them. It’s just part of who we are.

For me, having a medical routine in the morning is just what I’m used to. I know the ins and outs of it; I haven’t reflected on it in a long time. Reading these stories from people all over the world helped offer me a fresh perspective. They reminded me that it’s okay to not always be okay with it. — From the Editor, Evyn Williams

I.

I pick up the orange bottle and shake the contents, listening to the clatter and chaos of a hundred tiny green orbs of solid powder. The sound grates on me, familiar but not at all comforting.