Agony
“Not my will.” How many times have I desperately longed for my life of progressive disability to be different? For countless hours upon hours I have agonized, with teenaged hormones … Continue Reading Agony
Ashes
I’ve never felt betrayal, but I have known loss and change. The world in which we live is terribly beautiful: here is where we experience blossoms and sunlight, as well … Continue Reading Ashes
March for Life, March for You
You were once a zygote. The moment that you were conceived, spermatozoon fertilizing ovum, the genetic foundation that identifies you as you was established. You were living life while smaller … Continue Reading March for Life, March for You
Merry Christmas
Having been sick the week before Christmas, I missed my extended family’s annual Christmas gathering, Midnight Mass, and sleep. Thankfully, I had recently been with those members of my family … Continue Reading Merry Christmas
It’s Happening
What I’ve wanted to do since I was a young girl, what others have expected of me since I graduated from high school, what my family and friends have encouraged … Continue Reading It’s Happening
The Gift of Suffering?
Suffering is something that people complain about far and wide. As a Catholic, however, I have heard people speak about the gift of suffering. Those people look at me, a … Continue Reading The Gift of Suffering?
Impatients
The most abundant flowers in my mother’s garden has always been impatiens. I used to call these pretty plants “impatients.” This was when I was a child who was quite … Continue Reading Impatients
Celebrating the Gift of You
Today, one of my friends is celebrating a birthday. This young man (young enough to be my son, and yes that makes me feel old) lives with cerebral palsy and … Continue Reading Celebrating the Gift of You
Where the Light Enters You
“There’s a crack in everything… that’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen, songwriter. I know about cracks. I suffer from a seriously disabling disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy. My … Continue Reading Where the Light Enters You
Revolution: a poem
Trees to climb up and hills to roll down. But, not for me. “It’s okay,” I tell my friends at school, “You can go down and play in the … Continue Reading Revolution: a poem
A Three-Legged Dog
I hope you have a sense of humor. If you don’t, then you won’t fully appreciate the story that I’m sharing here, and, sadly, you won’t fully appreciate your own … Continue Reading A Three-Legged Dog
Are We Having Fun yet?
I have a morbid sense of time passing. This probably comes from doctors telling my parents, when I was two, that my disease meant I wouldn’t live to be a … Continue Reading Are We Having Fun yet?
What Does It Mean to Be Independent?
My mother tells me that I was conceived on the Fourth of July. She says that she remembers well the hot summer night on their back porch in the city, … Continue Reading What Does It Mean to Be Independent?
Mother Knows Best? Eugenic Abortion
With this reflection, I’m delving into controversy, as you can tell by the title. I feel nervous as I’m writing, so please bear with me. (And yes, it’s long.) I’d … Continue Reading Mother Knows Best? Eugenic Abortion
Real Men Stay
I should be dead, but I’m not. I should be a forty something-year-old in a nursing home, but I’m not. I should be miserable, but I’m not. Why? The reason … Continue Reading Real Men Stay
Within Her Hands
As May is the month for honoring mothers, including Mary, the Mother of God, Mother of all the living in Christ, I’m sharing a poem that I wrote a few years … Continue Reading Within Her Hands
