Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P
One thing people may not realize about living with cerebral palsy is that stress doesn’t just affect me emotionally.
It affects me physically too.
The more stressed I become, the harder my cerebral palsy becomes to manage.
Stress can make my body tighter.
It can make my movements harder.
It can make my balance feel off.
It can drain my energy before my day even truly begins.
Sometimes people only think of stress as something emotional or mental, but for me stress shows up in my body almost immediately.
There are days my body feels like it is fighting against me before my feet even hit the floor.
And the hard part is that many people cannot see that happening.
They may see me smiling.
They may see me still showing up.
They may see me doing my best to function normally.
But inside my body feels exhausted.
Living with cerebral palsy already takes a lot of focus and self-awareness.
I constantly have to pay attention to:
- how I move
- how tired I am
- how much energy I have left
- and whether my body is beginning to tighten up
When stress gets added on top of that, everything becomes heavier.
The emotional stress of life can quickly turn into physical stress for me.
Sometimes it’s appointments.
Sometimes it’s responsibilities.
Sometimes it’s finances, relationships, health fears, or simply trying to keep up with everyday life while living in a body that already works overtime.
People often tell others to “just relax,” but relaxing is not always easy when your body physically reacts to stress.
That is why I have had to learn how important peace is in my life.
Peace is not a luxury for me.
It is part of how I manage my health.
That is one reason places like the YMCA, tai chi, meditation, quiet mornings, music, and grounding myself mentally have become so important to me over the years.
They help calm more than my thoughts.
They help calm my body.
I have learned that protecting my peace is also protecting my independence.
Because when my stress levels rise too high, my body often reminds me very quickly that I cannot push myself like everyone else.
For a long time I used to get frustrated with myself over that.
I thought needing rest meant weakness.
I thought slowing down meant failure.
I thought asking for space meant I was falling behind.
Now I understand something different.
Listening to my body is part of surviving with cerebral palsy.
Managing stress is part of surviving with cerebral palsy.
Giving myself permission to pause is part of surviving with cerebral palsy.
And honestly, one of the healthiest things I have learned is this:
The calmer my mind becomes, the safer and stronger my body often feels too.
Living with cerebral palsy has taught me that health is not only physical.
Sometimes health is learning how to protect your peace before your body forces you to.
✌️😊💛
— Marie W.O.W.C.P.
Seeing the beauty between the challenges
OUR BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGES 
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