Asymmetry with Julia D. Pereira
Psychologist and artist, Julia D. Pereira was diagnosed at 32 with Triple Negative breast cancer. She loves spending time with her family and extended dear ones, including their diva calico cat, Joni. Julia also enjoys singing, writing, exploring the natural world, and gathering.
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Asymmetry
How do you make a life-changing decision when you’re not sure what you want—and when certainty itself feels impossible?
In her essay, Asymmetry, Julia takes us into the moments that followed her Stage II Triple Negative breast cancer diagnosis: conversations with surgeons, the pressure of making permanent decisions about her body, and the realization that many of the choices presented to her felt far more limited than the word choice suggested.
As a queer person navigating breast cancer, Julia found herself questioning assumptions about femininity, reconstruction, appearance, and what healing was supposed to look like. While her medical team repeatedly reminded her that the decision was hers, she wrestled with a deeper question: What if she didn’t want the options she was expected to want?
What unfolds is a story about far more than surgery. It’s about identity, agency, trusting yourself when the future is unknowable, and finding unexpected beauty in a body that has changed.
As Julia writes: “I kind of like the idea of being asymmetrical.”
And later:
“My asymmetries demand creativity, and if I honor them, I can gently allow magic to flow through the unknown and into my being.”
In celebration of Pride Month, each Friday this month we're re-sharing archived episodes featuring LGBTQ+ voices from the Wildfire community.
Writing Prompt Inspired by Today’s Episode
Set your timer for eight minutes, write without stopping or editing yourself. There is magic in leaning into that time.
We have two writing prompts for you that invite you to explore the idea of choice. Feel free to choose one prompt or write to both.
The first prompt is: I said yes…
The second prompt is: I said no...
You can also adapt these prompts to suit your experience. For example, you might write from the perspective of I should've said yes... or I should've said no...
However you want to dig into this, the idea is to write about choice.
If you find that you write best with a good prompt, check out our free prompts and learn about our writing workshops.
Happy writing! Until next time, take good care.
Episode Links
Read a transcript of this episode.
Purchase the 2024 “Queer in Cancerland” issue of Wildfire Journal.
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