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Parents, teachers, and pet owners routinely witness the unmistakable impact of full moons on all realms of behavior. Insert wolf howl. As a rapidly aging adult, I can vouch for this monthly phenomenon’s continued ability to “scramble the circuits” in every capacity. For some bizarre, unknown…

I know that self-talk is important, including the words we use and our tone of voice. We’re usually trying to look out for ourselves, but more often than not, our good intentions are swallowed by feelings of shame. But it doesn’t matter how many posts I like on Instagram…

For many years, the annual Cure SMA Conference has been bringing the SMA community together to learn and to connect. Throughout its history, the conference has traveled to a variety of locations across the U.S., hosted countless seminars and socials, navigated new virtual platforms, and provided…

Recently, someone I know commented, “Alyssa doesn’t let her disease define her.” I absolutely understood where they were coming from. After all, I have always been determined. I have always been that girl who thrives in a challenge and loves nothing more than being told she can’t do something. (Spoiler…

Sometimes people exclaim, “I never thought I would be doing this a year ago,” to negatively describe an experience. For example, asking for extra help to survive may cause some to think they are stooping to a new and shameful low. Even with all the help I’ve needed my whole…

First in a two-part series. I have never seen sci-fi media portray disabilities as casually as in the original trilogy of Mass Effect, a sci-fi video game series by game developer BioWare. For older fans of BioWare, the release of its remastered compilation on May 14 was a commemoration…

This year marked the second entirely virtual annual Cure SMA conference. Instead of armies of wheelchair users invading Disneyland and hotels, we fellowshipped through virtual trivia nights and Zoom socials. While I yearn to be back in person with my fellow SMA peeps,…

Everyone knows that I’m a “Star Wars” buff. Lately, I’ve been listening to “Star Wars” audiobooks, specifically the Old Republic series. I’d heard some not-so-great things about the first novel, “Revan,” but eventually, my curiosity won out. After all, if there’s one thing “Star Wars” audiobooks have going for them,…

I rolled up to the checkout counter, rosy cheeks beaming in delightful mimicry of the friendly-faced pansies beside me. The greenhouse air was thick and sweet like the morning sun’s hot breath in summertime. As my caregiver placed several cartons of sprightly lantanas beside the cash register, a worker…

Birthdays, including my own awesome one last month, and other notable days — Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, school year’s end — dot the May calendar. June’s tally of memorable days is no slouch, either. My husband, Randy, and I married in June (47 years ago!), as did both…