World Cerebral Palsy Day

I have said before that I am literally one of the luckiest people on the planet. This is not an exaggerated nor bias statement. In fact, it is one hundred percent the truth.

Tomorrow is World Cerebral Palsy Day. For the past week, I have going back and forth in my head contemplating what I could say about Cerebral Palsy, but there is really nothing to say about it. Even though I have CP, it is not who I am as a person. Looking back on my life thus far, I cannot help but wonder what kind of person I would be if things had turned out differently. However, I can’t deny that Cerebral Palsy has enriched my life in more ways than I can count. When it comes down to it, I wouldn’t change a single aspect of my life because I love who I am. I have encountered many people who do not understand how I can have such a positive disposition, despite my challenges. Some may think that I have every reason to be angry. I would lying if I said that I did not struggle with coming to terms with the fact that I do have a physical disability. In my experience, choosing to be angry has no value. It is just a waste of energy and time. Having Cerebral Palsy has taught me that when we focus on the positive aspects of our lives, a world of endless possibilities begins to open up. One of my biggest fears has always been missing out on life experiences. While there are certain activities that I may never be able to do, there is so much that I can do. It just may be in a different way than most, and I am okay with that.

This past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to experience wheelchair basketball for the first time. It was surprising to see that the majority of the players did not have any physical challenges at all. They wanted to experience the game just for fun, which was very humbling. Playing wheelchair basketball is one of the most thrilling, enjoyable activities I have ever done. In many ways, it is similar to bumper cars. I will never forget the look that spread across my friend, Abbi’s face after she was rear- ended for the first time by another player. I burst out laughing. Wheelchair basketball has a way of mimicking this journey we call life. Sometimes, it feels as though everything is going smoothly and then, all of the sudden we get hit. The key is deciding whether or not you are going keep rolling, or stay stuck in the impact zone.

I think that one of the most common misconceptions about disabilities is that it is a bad thing. It is not a bad thing at all. I want everyone to know that even though having a disability is not always easy, we are still able to enjoy life.

I have Cerebral Palsy, but it doesn’t have me!