Let’s begin in the middle: A letter to friends during a new season of life
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…
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
Keep an open mind, and 3 other tips for working with caregivers
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…
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In My Nights With SMA, a Spider Helps Me Consider the Life I Construct
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…
Lessons From a Hive: Honeybees and Caregivers Remind Me to Grow
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…
Living on My Own: Reinvention and Self-love With SMA
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,…
Hope, Oxygen, Acceptance, and Other Essentials in the Anatomy of a Cold
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…
The Asymmetries of a Physical Therapy Routine and a Koala’s Conquest
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…
Moving My Body of Solitude and Connecting With the World Around Me
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…
Dragonflies, Tiny Tables, and Big Feelings: Exploring Sexual Wellness Accessibility
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…
Through Chaos and Calm, I Voyage Onward
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…
Charades With a Little Wolf and Lessons From a Katydid
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…
Inviting People to Sit at the Table of My Disabled Life
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…
