Hi, friends. It’s been a minute since I’ve written to you. Some of you are well acquainted with me, while others are just beginning to peek into the window of my life as I put pen to paper. Yes, I know this is a digital age, but my love of…
A Wildflower in the Wheelderness — Katie Napiwocki
Katie is a Wisconsin girl at heart who strives to paint with her words, illustrating a soulful connection with nature and inclusive outdoor adventure. She was diagnosed with SMA (type 2) during toddlerhood. With a background in Human Development & Family Studies, she finds fulfillment in encouraging others to embrace their distinctive beauty. When she’s not engaging in advocacy, you’ll likely find her hiking an accessible trail, adoring a sunset, or eating a s’more somewhere beside the three brightest rays of sunlight in her life — her partner, Nick, and his two awesome kiddos. Follow her story on Instagram @wheelprintsalongthewildflowers.
Featured Post
As SMAers, we’ve probably all been there. We work tirelessly to build a caregiving team. We train, explain, and expose the inner workings of our dignity. We allow new hands and energy into the routine of our daily needs. Our schedule finally cruises along swimmingly — then suddenly, life…
My vision bloomed as I blinked my contacts into their daily parking spaces atop my corneas. I looked around, gathering my wits. Then, I noticed it. It hung over my tea kettle, gleaming in the haze of dainty stovetop lights that cast an aura across the morning darkness of…
Spring is a magical time of awakenings, a flagship season of gentle nudges and reminders from the natural world outside my window. Lately, I’ve felt like a honeybee, and I happened to be visited by one in the midst of enjoying springtime vibes the other day. Suddenly noticing the…
For the first time as an adult, I’ve met the stranger within myself. I’ve been exploring the unknown caverns winding deep inside my heart, not from an underground entrance, but instead, closer to the clouds than I’ve been in a long while. My environment and scenery look…
Most days, I try not to worry about my SMA to the extent that I forget to breathe and live. I attempt to construct a balance in which I’m tending to my health and wellness, fulfilling my desire for disability advocacy, and mindfully living my life as a cool human…
My body tensed, rigid as the blue therapy mat beneath my body. The physical therapist cradled my right leg, directing me to push my foot against his hand with all the might I could muster from the sleepy depths of my hamstrings. Face scrunched and fists clenched,…
I’ve been on my own more than usual lately. The idea feels odd to me when I first greet it, but when I consider the depths of the hourglass accounting for all of my life’s moments so far, I visualize solitude as a dear old friend. Like any classic…
I have a fear of falling. It’s not from the great heights of suspension bridges or tall buildings. No, it’s much more humble than that. I fear I will fall off the tiniest exam room table at the gynecologist’s office. And during my recent women’s wellness visit, this was only…
It was a classic Midwestern summer day on Lake Michigan as my friend Sarah and I parked by the Wisconsin docks of the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan. As we geared up for an afternoon of adaptive sailing, the breeze blew stronger, carrying the metallic rasp of congregating…
To no avail, I called out his name to grab his attention. He couldn’t hear me, and I pondered how to boost the synergy between us. The little wolf nuzzled blades of lush green grass, swayed by the morning breeze. As he sniffed closer and closer to the tall grasses…
I can still see the golden afternoon of my first tea party like it was only yesterday. I swung open the wooden cottage gate. In the center of a secret garden surrounded by dense evergreen hedgerows, a buffet table sat beneath the spotlight of the sun, awaiting guests. An elegant…
Explore More Columns
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion