What Taylor Swift's Engagement Stirred In My Spoonie Soul.

A few mornings ago, I was halfway through microwaving my heat pack (for the third time that day) when the internet exploded:

Taylor Swift is engaged.

And I smiled. Not just because I’ve been a Swiftie since the days of cowboy boots and teardrops on guitars—but because something about that headline hit me differently.

Not in a “wow, she’s lucky” kind of way (though hey, she is), but in a “look how far we can come, in our own time” kind of way.

Because while Taylor has been crafting love stories in lyrics and arenas, I’ve been crafting my own kind of love story—a quieter, often invisible one—with my life, my body, and a diagnosis called fibromyalgia.

The Flare Comes First

If you’re reading this, you probably already know the script. You wake up tired. Your bones ache like you’ve run a marathon in your sleep. Showers feel like endurance sports. A single grocery trip? A two-day recovery.

When I first heard the word fibromyalgia, I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or defeated. It was finally a name for the fog, the widespread pain, the constant buzzing ache in my nerves—but it also felt like a life sentence.

Flares became regular visitors. Cancelled plans piled up. Friends drifted. My sense of self? Shattered and slowly reconstructed, one slow morning at a time.

And Then, the Flourish

This blog, Flare and Flourish, was born from the wreckage of that reconstruction. I didn’t just want a place to vent—I wanted a place to tell the truth. About how hard it is to live in a body that betrays you. But also, about how much beauty still lives in these bones.

Because eventually, I learned to listen to my body. To honor my limits. To stop trying to perform “healthy” for people who would never understand. And slowly, gently, I started to flourish.

Not in the way I used to—late nights, spontaneous plans, hustle culture dreams. But in my own slow, soft, deliberate way. Mornings spent journaling. Afternoons lit by fairy lights and audiobooks. A kind of peace that comes from surviving what once felt unsurvivable.

Taylor Connection

So yes, when Taylor Swift got engaged, it made me think—not about fairy tale endings, but about chapters.

There was a time I thought I’d never be happy in this body again. Never be loved in this body. Never trust this body. But just like Taylor’s eras, life moves forward. We evolve. We learn. We begin again.

Maybe my engagement looks different—maybe it’s a commitment to myself. To rest without guilt. To laugh even when it hurts. To believe I can still have a beautiful life, even with fibromyalgia tagging along.

But until then? I’m saying “yes” to me.

What I’m Holding Onto

Taylor’s news reminded me of something simple but powerful:

✨ You don’t need perfect health to have a meaningful life.

✨ You don’t need a perfect timeline to find love.

✨ You don’t need to “bounce back” to move forward.

Fibromyalgia may shape how I live, but it will never decide if I live. That choice is still mine.

And if you’re here too—somewhere between pain and possibility—I want you to know:

You’re not broken. You’re becoming.

What about you?

Has your body rewritten your timeline? What are you committing to right now—big or small? Share below or message me. I’d love to hear your story. 

Follow me on twitter for updates https://x.com/FlareflourishF