Tag: love
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When a PCA Isn’t the Right Match
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Ten Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. One of the hardest things about managing your own PCA care is realizing that not everyone is going to be the right match. Someone can be a good person. They can have good intentions. They can genuinely want to help. And…
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What a PCA Really Means
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part One Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. When people hear the words Personal Care Assistant, or PCA, they may assume that having one means a person with a disability cannot be independent. For me, it means almost the exact opposite. Having a PCA doesn’t mean I’m not independent.…
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The Doors That Opened When I Chose to Believe
Closing Disability Pride Month As Disability Pride Month comes to an end, I’ve found myself reflecting on the journey that brought me here. This month, I’ve written about disability history. I’ve reflected on the meaning of the Disability Pride Flag. I’ve shared stories about growing up with cerebral palsy, the barriers I’ve faced, and the…
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They See What’s Different-Not What’s Possible
Disability Pride series Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie There have been so many moments in my life when people noticed my disability before they noticed me. They saw my walker before they saw my smile. They noticed my cerebral palsy before they noticed my personality. Sometimes they made up their minds about what I could…
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Making Peace With My Journey
Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie There are moments in life when making peace with your journey feels harder than facing the journey itself. For me, one of the biggest struggles has been learning how to see myself beyond my disability. If I’m being honest, I have always known that I am more than my cerebral…
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The Women I Become
Identity & Growth Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie Sometimes I stop and think about the person I have become. Not the person other people see. Not the person people assume I am because of my disability. But the person I know myself to be. And honestly, I am grateful for her. I am a woman…
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The People I Wish I Could Thank
Thankful, grateful Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie As I get older, I find myself thinking more and more about the people who helped shape my life. Not just my family. Not just my closest friends. But all the people who crossed my path and left a positive mark on my journey. When I look at…
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The Strength I Find in Everyday Moments
Identity & Personal Growth Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie When people think about strength, they often picture big moments. They picture overcoming major obstacles, achieving huge goals, or surviving life’s biggest challenges. But living with cerebral palsy has taught me something different. Real strength is often found in the everyday moments. The moments nobody sees.…
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The Friend Who Helped Bring Us Back Together
Relationships & Connection,Gratitude & Reflection Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie Sometimes, the people who have the biggest impact on our lives are not always the people we expect. And sometimes the people we lose continue shaping our lives long after they are gone. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my best friend, Annette, and how grateful…
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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…
OUR BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGES 