Monday, July 13, 2015

5 Things Cerebral Palsy has taught me

5 things Cerebral Palsy has taught me

I bet if I were to tell you that my disability has taught me a lot about life you would think I was crazy. Living 22 years with cerebral palsy in a world that is meant for abled bodies has taught me a little.

1. Educate others

CP has allowed me to educate individuals in away that is different from the way that the media portrays individuals with disabilities.  CP has allowed me to make difference in the way in which abled bodied individuals may choose to interact with a person with a disability. I have been given an opportunity to see first hand what can make a difference and teach others how they can too. 

2. Perseverance 

CP has taught to keep trying over and over after each failure. The ability to fight through the pain and everyday obstacles to live a life that makes me happy. CP has made me stronger. Keep reaching for new goals even after failure. 

3. Something to fight for

CP has taught me to speak up. CP has given me a burning flame to fight for equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities. This isn't a personal battle I want to fight for me ( yes I know I would benefit) but, it's a battle that I don't want others to face in the future. 

4. Never doubt 

CP has taught me to never doubt myself. I feel like I can't doubt my ability because something great could be around the corner. For example, Before I started walking with out assistive devices I was on the swing set with my brothers. They encouraged me to jump off the swing  ( I have no clue why they thought I could do that). I jumped. After I jumped I landed on my feet and kept walking. This was insane. However, I'm glad I didn't doubt them. They knew I could jump off but I don't think the quite knew what was going to happen. 

5. Life is not easy

From a young age nothing was easy. From surgeries to going to school was hard. CP proved that from day one. No, I'm not asking for pity and I'm not saying my life is harder than yours but I will say that I've known that things are tough sometimes since I was a little girl. Those tough times though have taught me a lot. 
 

Although Cerebral Palsy has taught me more than 5 things, these are the 5 I am most grateful for. I'm still working on understanding how these pieces fit into my life as an adult. I am excited to see what CP will teach me in the next 22 years.