Disability Pride Seres

Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie

When people think about disability, they often think about doctors, therapy, accessibility, or advocacy.

What they don’t always think about is love.

Yet love is something every person hopes to experience.

For many years, I wasn’t sure what my future would look like.

I wondered if someone would ever see me for who I was instead of focusing on my cerebral palsy.

Like many people with disabilities, I questioned whether finding a lasting relationship was even possible.

Then life surprised me.

I met John.

If someone had told me that a simple ride on the bus would change my life, I never would have believed them.

At first, I thought we would meet only once.

But we kept seeing each other.

Eventually we started talking, getting to know one another, and building a friendship.

One thing I remember from those early days was worrying that he would forget about me because of his own disability.

Instead, he kept showing up.

Conversation by conversation, friendship grew into something much deeper.

Today, John isn’t just my partner.

He’s my best friend.

He’s the person who can make me laugh when I’m having a difficult day.

He’s the one who reminds me that I don’t have to face life’s challenges alone.

Like every couple, we’ve had obstacles to overcome.

Living with disabilities means we’ve had to navigate challenges that many people never think about.

We’ve learned patience.

We’ve learned understanding.

We’ve learned that sometimes love looks a little different than people expect.

But different doesn’t mean less.

In many ways, I believe our experiences have made our relationship stronger.

We celebrate the little victories.

We understand one another’s struggles.

We encourage each other to keep moving forward.

Our love isn’t built on perfection.

It’s built on trust, friendship, kindness, and choosing each other every day.

One of the biggest misconceptions about disability is that people assume our lives are somehow smaller.

My relationship with John has shown me the opposite.

Our lives are full.

Full of laughter.

Full of dreams.

Full of quiet moments that mean everything.

Disability may be part of our story.

But it has never defined our ability to love.

As I celebrate Disability Pride Month, I also celebrate the life we’ve built together.

Because Disability Pride isn’t only about accessibility or advocacy.

It’s about recognizing that people with disabilities deserve every opportunity to experience life fully.

Including love.

John has been one of the greatest unexpected gifts in my life.

And every day, I’m grateful that one ordinary bus ride became the beginning of an extraordinary love story.