Push or Pull Zuzanna Krawczyk

As a child, whenever I would try to open a door, I would always attempt to push it open. Regardless of the fact that a door might have had a sign on it that said "Pull to Open", I would always push. It became something I would do unconsciously. The thing about me is, I love to be in control. The glory and satisfaction that come with having control are feelings that make my life worth living. The part of me that loves being in control is also the part of me that accepts myself.

Growing up, all I knew was that I looked different. The skin around my eyes, elbows, ankles, wrists, and knees was constantly red, blotchy and dry. The nicknames that my peers gave me such as, “albino bunny” and “scratching weirdo” are names that I will remember forever. At the same time that all of this was happening, I was on experimental diets, therapies such as acupuncture, allergen immunotherapy, acupressure, and steroid creams, all in attempts to save my skin. At just 2 years old, I was diagnosed with eczema. Today, millions of people around the world suffer from this skin inflammation. It affects people of all age, sizes, and cultures. Growing up, I was unaware of these statistics. Although all of this seemed to be taking over my childhood, I had a...