“Rare” — Reclaiming My Worth in a Body That Hurts
My Selena Gomez-Inspired Chronic Illness Blog Series
When Selena Gomez released “Rare,” it felt like a quiet anthem — not loud, not angry, but full of strength. It was a reminder that even when the world forgets your worth, you can still remember it for yourself.
Living with fibromyalgia, I’ve had to do exactly that.
Because there have been so many moments where I’ve felt anything but rare.
I’ve felt tired, broken, invisible.
Like my body was betraying me and my life was no longer mine.
But this song made me stop and ask myself:
Why don’t I recognize that I’m rare, too?
When Illness Steals the Spotlight
Fibromyalgia doesn’t just bring pain — it brings a loss of identity.
Suddenly, I wasn’t the friend who showed up. I was the one canceling at the last minute.
I wasn’t the go-getter at work. I was the one quietly burning out.
I wasn’t the person I used to be — and worse, I didn’t know who I was becoming.
People stopped checking in.
Some assumed I was exaggerating.
Others just… moved on.
And when you’re stuck inside a body that feels like it’s failing you, and people stop seeing your value — you can start to forget it, too.
“Why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?”
That lyric used to feel like something I wanted to scream at the people who didn’t get it.
But eventually, I realized…
I needed to hear it for myself.
Because here’s the truth:
Just surviving with fibromyalgia is an act of resilience.
Choosing rest over guilt is powerful.
Listening to your body, setting boundaries, and still showing up — in whatever way you can — is strength most people will never understand.
I may not be able to do everything I once could, but that doesn’t make me less.
It makes me human. And it makes me rare in ways that matter.
Learning to See Myself Again
“Rare” reminded me that I don’t need outside validation to know I’m worthy.
That even in a body that hurts, my heart still beats with meaning.
That even when I feel overlooked or forgotten, I am still here — trying, healing, growing.
Fibromyalgia has taken many things from me, but it’s also taught me how to slow down and honor myself.
Not just when I’m productive.
Not just when I’m “strong.”
But even in my weakest, most exhausted moments — I’m still enough.
“It’s just not fair / Why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?”
I recognize it now.
And maybe that’s the first step toward healing — not the body, but the way I see myself inside it.
A Message for Anyone Feeling Invisible
If you’re reading this, and fibromyalgia (or any chronic illness) has made you feel like you’re too much, or not enough, or somehow both at once — please hear this:
You don’t have to earn your worth.
You don’t have to prove your pain.
You are rare simply for carrying what you carry and still finding the courage to hope, to heal, and to keep going.
Even when no one else says it —
I see you.
I believe you.
And you are still whole.
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