Category: CEREBRAL PALSY
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Laws Changed, But People Didn’t Always Change
Disability & Advocacy,Disability Rights History Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. When I was younger, my parents had to fight for me and everything I needed so I could be part of public school, part of the community, and part of the world around me. They did a wonderful job with so many things. What…
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Learning to Adapt Without Giving Up
Identity & Personal Growth,Living with Cerebral Palsy Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie One thing living with cerebral palsy has taught meis that life can change at a moment’s notice. You can wake up with plans for the day.You can organize everything perfectly.You can mentally prepare yourself for what needs to get done. And then your…
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Keeping Myself Above Water
Health & Wellness,Identity & Personal Growth Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie For the most part, I’m happy with who I am as a person living with a disability. Still, every now and then, I do get in a mood where I feel like people don’t always see how much of a struggle it can be…
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The Mental Toolbox
Health & Wellness,Mindfulness & Personal Growth Our Beautiful ChallengesBy Marie W.O.W.C.P. Lately, I have felt a little off in life. Not necessarily lost— but disconnected from myself. I think sometimes life becomes so loud,so emotionally heavy,that we forget how important it is to center ourselves again. For me,centering myself is not always hard to do.…
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Menopause, Cerebral Palsy, and the Challenges of Healthy Eating
Health & Wellness,Women’s Health & Aging Our Beautiful ChallengesBy Marie W.O.W.C.P. There is something I have been thinking about a lot lately as I move closer to menopause. Everywhere you look, people talk about what women should eat during this stage of life. More protein.More calcium.More vegetables.More fresh foods.Less sugar.Less processed food. And while I…
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The Peace I Found Within Myself
Identity & Personal Growth, Gratitude & Reflection Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. There was a time when the only peace I could find was through loud music in my ears. Music helped me breathe. It gave me somewhere to go when my thoughts felt too loud.It helped me escape the frustration I felt inside…
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Protecting My Peace Is Growth
Identity & Personal Growth,Mental Health & Wellness I write a gratitude entry every day and sometimes I turn them into blog posts There comes a point in life when you realize that protecting your peace is just as important as protecting your heart. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to understand how important it is…
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A Healthier Me, A More Independent (Part 3)
Health & Wellness,Independence & Life Skills Taking care of myself is not about perfection—it’s about learning what works for me. After learning to rest without guilt…and after beginning to understand how I see myself…I realized something important: Taking care of myself is not just one thing. It’s not just rest.It’s not just mindset.It’s not just…
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PT1 The Women Who Lived the Example
Becoming the Living Example Series Our Beautiful ChallengesBy Marie W.O.W.C.P. There are people who come into your life and change you without even realizing it. For me, that person was a teacher I had growing up — a woman who also had cerebral palsy. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what that meant. I…
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The Quiet Power of Advocacy: What Advocacy Meant to Me Then
By Marie W.O.W.C.P. Advocacy is something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When you live with a disability, advocacy is not something you choose. It is something that grows with you. There are times in your life when other people advocate for you. And for me,…
OUR BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGES 