Columns

I have, shall we say, a rather indulgent approach to the month of December, which my family and friends can attest to. By the time the holiday season rolls around, I’ve already placed carefully chosen gifts under our Christmas tree. My goal every year is to show my loved ones…

One thing I love about this time of year is a little extra indulgence: twinkle lights, sugary sprinkles, and of course, a generous dollop of whipped cream on top of, well, everything! These details may not be essential to our health and well-being, but they are beautiful and delicious and…

Some seasons of growth don’t ease their way in; they break you open just enough to let the light shine through again. I’m in one of those seasons now, a chapter filled with reflection, honesty, and tenderness I’ve avoided for years. My disability doesn’t define me, but living with…

I don’t remember when or why my general interest in working with children gravitated toward those with special needs. Before returning to school for teacher certification in special education, I spent a year substituting in self-contained schools and classes throughout the massive Fort Worth, Texas, school system. My father was…

Last in a series. Read part one.  Last week, I wrote about my wheelchair and how, even though I get frustrated or embarrassed by it sometimes, I’m thankful that it gives me comfort, support, mobility, independence, and opportunities to raise awareness. Another thing I often complain about is…

In her anthology “Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century,” the late activist and writer Alice Wong offers profound insight into the power of storytelling. She says in one of her essays, “Storytelling can be more than a blog post, essay, or book. It can be an…

“Sherry has big dreams!” my neurologist once told my mom while explaining the difficult decisions my medical team had to make, adding that the team was doing its best. At the time, I had wanted to become a video game writer, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the creators…

For many years, there was a quote hanging in our local zoo, but I no longer remember if it was by Edmund Burke, who (rightly or wrongly) is credited as saying, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little,”…

Our journey was rough from the start. During a well child visit, I shared concerns that something was going on with my son, Luke (call it mom instincts). We were referred to a neurologist and then a brain and spine specialist where Luke had three blood tests done, one…

It’s incredible how seemingly small changes can lead to something that turns out to be much bigger. Let’s explore this idea through my experience with SMA. In February, I moved into a new house, where we converted the garage into my bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and medical supply room.