A Differently Abled Woman's Fire to Inspire

 It is has been two and a half weeks since my cell phone took a dive into the toilet. Actually, my fourteen month old daughter took it unbeknownst to me, and decided to play with it in the toilet like a cat. Then, she proceeded to let it sink to the bottom of its final porcelain resting place. Within the one hundred twenty seconds it took for me to administer the antibiotics for strep throat for my son and I, that little nugget had managed to sink my cellular device. She flushed down my memories and contacts, and with it, a new freedom. I did not possess one single ounce of anger or frustration. (I could never be mad at that face, anyhow.) I just prayed that my photos from the past two years could somehow be restored. Who backs up their phone, right? Sigh. I envisioned myself without my phone for a couple of days. I did not have any upcoming phone conferences, so survival was possible. For the first few hours to approximately a day, I would reach down into my empty pocket to te...

Mind the Gap Miss Aurora has just turned seven months old. She has the sweetest disposition, is always smiling, and is very easygoing. She is also a little powerhouse. For example, she has been crawling for about one month now, can pull herself to a standing position, and shouts "mama" when she wants to explore.   People ask me, "Isn't she young to be doing all of these milestones?" I have been finding myself responding with answers like, "Yep! Her brothers keep her motivated, and she wants to keep up with them!" Or, "She wants to do what her older brothers are doing, and be just like them." Then, I listened to myself. Why was I giving my sons credit, when this little girl was doing all of the work? Granted, my two boys are the best cheerleaders, and motivate her beyond words, but it is her determination that has gotten her thus far. After reading the coverage on this summer's Olympics, I vow that I will always give my daughter credit...

It’s The Little Things In Life… I have always considered myself an appreciative person. I do not take anything or anyone in my life for granted. I enjoy the simplest things like catching the last bit of sunshine at the park before it turns dusk. I will also loquaciously speak about a superb dinner or trip for days on end. It goes without saying that I wish I could do some of the things I used to be able to do, or I sigh at the wish of wanting to do certain things with my children that are just not easy for me to accomplish. However, when I am capable of conquering one of those feats that have stood in my way for years, I relish in the moment, and boast to each person that I encounter that week; maybe month. It is usually something like, “I gave my kid a piggy-back ride without either one of us falling to the ground!” Or, “I got both boys dressed (socks and shoes included) in under five minutes flat!” It’s the little things in life that make me elated as can be. I do not th...

Sometimes in life, you come across an article, which inspires you, and changes your life forever. This stands true for the Woman’s Day article and recipe that I had come across almost fifteen years ago. My June 2000 issue is my treasure, and I still have it to this day. I shall keep it safe and tucked away, until each July, when I excitedly whip it out to commence my creation.  In April of 2000, when I was seventeen years old, 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 was told by doctors that I would never walk again, and would have to wear a halo for many months and undergo dangerous spinal fusion surgery. My prognosis was that I would be paralyzed from the neck down; unable to move or feel anything for the rest of my life.    While in the hospital for many months, my mother would bring me Woman’s Day magazines to read. I ...

“How I Wasted My Education” The question of the week always is, “When are you going back to work?” Which is then followed by, “Don’t you feel like you’ve wasted your education?” I usually chuckle, and think to myself, “Since when is educating yourself a waste?!” I try not to let peoples’ questions irk me, as with all of the kind of questions and comments I receive daily. But I cannot help think that when people ask you when you are going back to work, they are insinuating that this is what moms automatically do after maternity leave, and if you do choose to stay home, you are viewed as “old fashioned” or taking a step backward in the world of the working mom.  When I thought about what I had wanted to be when I grew up, I never thought that I was limited to becoming one thing. I thought number one, mother, number two, an author, and number three, something where I would help others in society. And the possibilities were endless from there. Why can’t I be a stay at home...

What a Difference Today Makes Before March takes a bow and makes an exit, I wanted to make a shout out to my fellow ladies in support of Women’s History Month. “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives” is the theme for National Women’s History Month March 2015. When I re-read the theme, I envision women of every shade, every culture, every sexual orientation, every economic status, and every ability, woven together into this colorful patchwork quilt. This patchwork quilt encompasses all of our tears, feats, and future dreams that have gotten us to where we are today.  As I flip through my favorite undergraduate textbook, “Women- Images and Realities: A Multicultural Anthology,” I get excited over names like Margaret Sanger, Maria Stewart, and Betty Friedan. I think about the women within my ancestry, who have paved the way to get me to where I am today. My great, great aunt, a Caucasian woman, who married an African-American man, continually fought against oppression. She...