Tag: writing
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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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The More stressed I Am, The Harder My CP Becomes.
Health & Wellness,Living with Cerebral Palsy 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.…
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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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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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The Strength of Slowing Down
Health & Wellness,Identity & Personal Growth Our Beautiful ChallengesBy Marie W.O.W.C.P. There was a time in my life when slowing down felt like failure. If my body needed rest, I became frustrated. If I couldn’t keep up with everyone else, I felt defeated. And if plans changed because of my cerebral palsy, I often blamed…
OUR BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGES 