To be ill can be a lonely and isolating experience. Even people lucky enough to have the support and love of friends and family members are still alone with their deepest emotions, their pain, and ultimately their fears. Sharing stories about our personal quests to manage our physical bodies is a constructive and hopeful way to open dialogue, start important conversations, and feel like none of us is truly alone—no matter the physical challenges we may face or our circumstances.

As the nonfiction editor of Please See Me, I choose pieces that speak to me emotionally, pieces in which a writer is fearless, introspective, and vulnerable—sharing personal experience, and ultimately meeting the reader in a place that encourages compassionate understanding.

Our inaugural theme, “Conversation,” speaks to our universal need for humanity. Some stories I have selected highlight the anger, the fear, or the lack of empathy we sometimes feel in situations regarding our health or the health of loved ones. Others show us a world of hope or personal resilience—a mother’s ferocious love, words unspoken between a mother and son, a medical “aha” moment that is life-changing, and more. These stories allow readers to step into another person’s shoes—to empathize, to understand, and to be part of those conversations that can make people feel supported and ultimately not alone.

Grace Jasmine is the nonfiction editor of Please See Me.