The Wolf Finally Frees Itself
— Brianna Albers

I’m a productivity geek. I’m not content with simply doing things. I want to do them well. And I want to do as much as I possibly can in the time I have left. Productivity has served me well. Over the years, productivity has gotten me a bachelor’s degree in…

Many, many years ago, I gave a presentation on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. I was in middle school at the time, and was hopelessly devoted to the concept of “normalcy.” I wanted more than anything to fit in. To live a different life, with cliques…

As someone who avoided the disability community for years, I am slowly learning that I am not alone — my struggles are shared by hundreds of thousands of people across the world. “The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love With Me,”…

I hoped that things would “get back to normal” — whatever that means — by mid-summer. Reader, I was disappointed. But I’m used to disappointment. After all, I spent the better part of two decades learning to embrace lockdown mentality. I’m an expert at gazing wistfully through windows and wishing…

My family has a saying: “It’s always an adventure with us.” It originated with Katelyn, an honorary member of the Albers household and my first personal care assistant (PCA). “It’s always an adventure with you,” she once said. I don’t remember the context — it could’ve been anything from…

One of my favorite writers, Leo Babauta, is known for his work on mindfulness and simplicity. His blog, “Zen Habits,” is one of few newsletters that I intentionally keep up with. My personal resource database is full of Babauta’s articles — a testament…

I am officially a baby influencer. I spent the morning tweaking my social media pages. I’ve been doing that a lot lately, ever since I graduated with a master’s degree and found myself with oodles of free time. But this was different. This was purposeful. This was in preparation for…

Reader, it’s already June. How is that possible? On one hand, it feels like no time has passed. Part of me is convinced that the green, sun-dappled world outside my window is an illusion — poke it enough and the ice and snow of Minnesota winters…

I love the disability community. I love our resilience, our creativity, and our willingness to adapt and change. We have visions of an inclusive world that celebrates diversity and supports marginalized people in their pursuit of fulfillment and vitality. To celebrate disability, we must acknowledge the…

“I know I’m on my period,” I told my dad, “because I’m crying at the mere possibility of Rey not knowing that I love her.” Rey, of course, is the newest member of the Albers family. I’ve…

Let me set the scene. I’ve finished my morning routine of meditating and emptying my inbox. I scroll through Twitter for a few minutes, knowing I should get started on my column for this week, knowing I’ll feel better about myself…

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) occurs in the wake of adversity, initially through grief work — recognizing that our lives have fundamentally changed as a result of trauma — and eventually through self-reflection. Once we mourn the loss, we can cultivate positive psychological change, recognizing personal strengths…