When my husband, Randy, and I decided to expand our family, I promptly became pregnant … and miscarried. Optimists, we tried again. And again. Meanwhile, we returned to school for teacher certification and accepted teaching assignments in Columbia, South Carolina. We were blessed the following summer with…
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We rolled up to the emergency room for the second time this month. The first time, Ella had broken her left foot. Now we were there for the other foot. This particular afternoon, Ella had been playing with her brother, Henry, and his friends. She…
In 2017, writer Keah Brown created the hashtag #DisabledAndCute. To Brown’s astonishment, this phrase sparked a viral social media movement. As the hashtag flooded her Twitter and Instagram feeds, Brown saw countless individuals with disabilities embrace a message…
Lying on my couch one day in late August, I thought about how the previous weeks had been unexpectedly challenging. I was watching one of my favorite (albeit trashy) reality television shows. I’m not big into TV, so when I watch it for hours something is up. When my mother…
Music helps us to express our feelings, dreams, and aspirations. Ella has been to several Young Naperville Singers rehearsals and is loving it more and more. She can’t wait to get there and doesn’t want to leave when the session is over. One evening, my…
A few weeks ago, someone posted a question in a Facebook group for people living with neuromuscular conditions. The question, composed of a few simple words, prompted me to stop and think. How’s your life going right now? A question like this should be…
As a kid, I assumed that happiness would be accompanied by a kiss in the rain, like the iconic scene between Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray in “A Cinderella Story.” Or that scene in “The Princess Diaries 2:…
Have you ever seen a person with a wheelchair rolling toward you and wondered how you should react? You’re likely not the only one. Here are a few pointers for the next time you find yourself in this situation: Make eye contact You don’t need to stare, but…
Over the winter, I drank a piping hot cup of ginger tea every night before bed. It was the only remedy that I could confidently say helped to lessen my acid reflux and ease my stomach discomfort. There was only one problem:…
What seems a lifetime ago, my husband, Randy, and I decided to return to school for our teacher certifications. After quitting our joint job at a residential facility for at-risk teens, Randy went first. To pay the bills, I applied to be a substitute teacher. I requested…
