Costume Enthusiast

I’ve always had an interest in costumes and costume design, but prior to 2021, this interest of mine had not been a priority. I’ve always held so many interests but never the equivalent of time. In 2021, I experienced a perspective-shifting rupture: I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Burkitt’s Lymphoma. As I faced my own mortality, my personal priorities triumphed with painful clarity. One of the regrets that rose to the surface as I laid before The Spirit of Death, was simple: I had never made enough time for costumes and costume parties. It was a joy that I had always postponed.

In the beginning of my Cancer diagnosis, I didn’t believe I could survive, and the weight of this regret was heavy. As time passed, my treatment plan continued, and my body persisted. I allowed myself to imagine the possibility of recovery. In that liminal space between death and survival, I negotiated with the higher powers and my higher self, promising them costumes and costume parties and more. If I was able to survive, I would thrive. I would make a commitment to this previously neglected interest. It turns out, I did survive Cancer. True to my promise, I’ve honored that commitment; to costume, to creativity and to life. I have and will to continue to show up for this life, in costume, in color and in spirit.