A Differently Abled Woman's Fire to Inspire

“I’m Addicted to You, Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic” No, we are not talking about the song by Brittney Spears, although it is the only song that I do like of hers. With the recent deaths in the news of actors and public faces due to drug overdose, it makes me ponder about how we intoxicate ourselves. We intoxicate ourselves not only with substances like drugs and alcohol, but also with negativity from our surroundings, as well as what we conjure up within ourselves.   So, how do we detox? It is a lot easier said than done. It all starts with loving ourselves, as well as everyone around us.   There is a particular stigma in society that exists for people with addictions. People are judged for having a lack of control. They are also judged for having the ability to choose whether or not to take part in their intoxications. Substances like drugs and alcohol are much more frowned upon, as compared to let’s say a shopping addiction. Having facilitated co-occurring group...

Being a parent can be an arduous job, and people ask me, “How do you do it?” Being a disabled mom sure adds some spice to the mix of parenting, but for me, it is the most beautiful and rewarding experience I could ever ask for. Sure, my exhaustion level far surpasses any physical therapy session I had endured, but I feel that my child is definitely a miracle and a gift. When I was a little girl, all I could think of becoming when I grew up was someone’s mother. When I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I replied, “Something where I help people, and a mommy.” So when I was a passenger in a motor vehicle accident at the age of seventeen, I wondered if my dreams could ever become true; now that I was permanently disabled, or I like to refer as differently-abled. Thirteen years ago, a car going the wrong way down the highway, struck the vehicle I was a passenger in. The collision instantly broke my neck in three places, making me an incomplete quadriplegic. I wa...