After my week in Raleigh, I came home and immediately started thinking about next year’s conference. Would I be able to go again? Could I wait that long to see these new friends again? I had met people from all over the country and world…England, France, Canada, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts, etc. ******* The first Sunday post-trip, I was eager …
lost in a dream
my heart is heavy and i am lost in a dream. nothing in life is quite what it seems. we come to a point or period of time where it feels we are losing more than we gain. there is still hope in my life, a small subtle sign that all is not lost — pockets of joy i see …
Love & the Disability Factor, part two
In another year, I headed to middle school and I met a whole new set of classmates. I didn’t stay in contact with the first boy. No one caught my eye again until eighth grade when new neighbors moved in right next door. I could see the house every time I looked out one of my windows. For a long …
Love & the Disability Factor, part one
I had my first boyfriend in the fourth grade. He was older. I looked up to him. I thought he was cool. And I was sad he would be moving on to middle school at the end of the year. I would be left with the boys who irritated me more than they caused me to giggle. This boy, the …
5 Questions with Hidden Disability Misconceptions
Last week I shared the top 10 misconceptions about the physically disabled. Before I wrote that post, I reached out to people online who also have various kinds of disabilities. I soon realized — we are all clashing with culture in similar ways. We face the same assumptions attached to our visible limits. I wish I could tell you I don’t hear the …
The Top 10 Misconceptions About the Physically Disabled
We’re going to talk about misconceptions. Things assumed by culture as a whole. These ideas about the physically disabled are often false: A physical disability automatically means a mental disability as well. Wheelchair users are confined to their chairs. Therefore, it’s a miracle when we actually walk. We can’t speak or do anything for ourselves, so you look to whoever is with us. …
The Me Before You Dilemma: What Makes Life Worth Living
When I first bought the Me Before You book, I didn’t know it came with controversy. I didn’t realize I was entering a story full of dilemma and debate centered around an unnamed question: Is life in a wheelchair worth living? The movie version of Me Before You premiered at the beginning of June and I found a firestorm on social media. I …
Breaking Through Barriers: Redefining Normal
Normal. How do you even begin to define “normal”? Culture teaches us what normal can mean, what normal should look like, and how to respond to what isn’t considered normal. What is normal, really? This is a question I wrestle with, something I ask myself again and again. I have to understand the way I define normal because my definition most …
When Weary Can’t Win
I have to admit I’ve been missing the daily blogging. I grew used to the habit last month as I finally did the Write 31 Days challenge. I did it. I finished. I learned a few things along the way and I’ll have to share them soon. Tonight I’m too tired for a lot of words. I’m not just tired. …
Free to Wear Purple
I grew up knowing these 2 random facts: my mom didn’t like purple and my grandmother didn’t like purple. They were both very against the color. So that meant nothing in their wardrobe related to purple. And we just knew not to consider anything purple as a birthday or Christmas gift. This fact also meant I was probably never dressed …
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