I’ve had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. No idea why. Genetics? Inner ear damage? Too many fevers as a kid? Who knows.

But it’s not the annoying kind. I don’t even notice it unless I tune in. And when I do, I hear my heartbeat. A soft shhhh, shhhh. When I exercise, it shifts, more of a sizzle. Always there, always steady.

And honestly, I like it. It lets me check in. I’ve had heart palpitations before (yes, I’ve seen a doctor), and I can hear them when they happen. More importantly, I can hear when my heart settles back to normal.

So I’ll keep my tinnitus. It’s my built-in heart monitor.