Dear Reader, 

I am not a victim. I don’t want you to view me that way. Don’t feel sorry for me or well up with pity. That is not why I am writing this. If you knew me personally, you would see a happy, loved, blessed, cheerful middle-aged woman with a dry sense of humor. A bird’s eye view would show someone who laughs easily, tries to stay positive, and revels in her friendships. If you had a relationship with me, you would know I have an amazing family, a loving husband, and adult children I adore. I tell you this because most of you will never know me personally. I want you to understand that above all else, God has blessed me with an amazing life. 

So why do I want to share all my hard stuff with you? Why would I tell you about my emotional and sometimes, physical pain? What would make me so vulnerable and honest about my experiences? 

The answer is perspective, I want to share mine with you and give you the inside scoop. I participate in a writing group where I receive valuable feedback on the memoir I am writing. What has surprised me about the group is their curiosity about my life with cerebral palsy. They not only want to know about my outward challenges but my inner reflections as well. They yearn to know my perspective. They wonder what it’s like to be me.

Let me back up. As a result of a birth accident, I have mild cerebral palsy. My disability affects my gross and fine motor skills.  People can’t always understand what I am saying, especially if I am tired. My leg muscles ache if I walk too much and I lose my balance easily. 

My perspective doesn’t end there. My daughter has mild autism and an intellectual disability. She faced her own challenges growing up, and I have had the privilege of being her mom. Someone once said to me that it doesn’t seem fair that I have a child with a disability after all I went through. All I could think was, why not me? God blessed me with an amazing daughter with whom I could relate and empathize.

            After learning all I could about my daughter’s disability, which includes language and learning delays, sensory issues, OCD, and social struggles; I became interested in special education and earned my master’s degree in teaching. I spent many years in the schools as a teacher’s assistant, substitute, and teacher. I understand what it’s like to be a person with a disability, a mom of a child with a disability, and a special education teacher. 

            It doesn’t stop there. Disability is in my family DNA, My parents had a business that made homes and businesses accessible for people with disabilities. They installed ramps, porch lifts, stair lifts, and much more. My sister has a private pediatric occupational therapy clinic which has helped thousands of children with disabilities improve their daily lives. 

            My whole existence has been infused with disability perspective and I want to share it with you. I want you to really “see” that person who is different than you and maybe understand them a little more.

             Growing up I was bullied, ignored, underestimated, and marginalized; but I have also been loved, challenged, helped, and seen. I hope this blog will give you insight and perspective into the world I have always been a part of. I hope you will be inspired to reach out to others who seem different from you and strive to understand and include them in your life. 

Most of all, I want to share my perspective with you to educate, inspire, and remind us all we share more in common than we share in differences. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Christy