When Your Words Mean So Much - JoJo

Yes, that's JoJo again. This morning when I woke up, I checked Facebook like I always do...

I saw I had been tagged by Jo Jo in a status, which is not something that happens often. When it does, I know it's special. Today, he shared the blog post I had written about our friendship. You can read that here if you haven't read it. Above the post, he thanked me once again for writing, but after that he said something that I have kept with me all day. He said, "These words could not have come at any better time. You are my rock." I have been going through some difficult times of my own, which are written in the previous post. It seems like he and I always know when we need a pick me up. I'm so blessed to have him in my life and call him a friend.

When I wrote that blog, I thought... oh he will read it and say how much it means to him and he'll share it on his page to show support - which he did. However, I didn't expect it to have such a profound impact a year later. I do not know what he has been going through, I do not need to. What I do know is that my words have carried him through something he has been going through and I cannot express how much that means to me. I often feel like I write just because it is what I love to do and I do it well. Today, I learned that I do not just write because it is something I love to do. I write because whether I know it or not.. someone reads it and gets something out of it. Maybe, like JoJo my words carry them through a trying time, or what I read just lets them know they're not alone.

I can't express how I feel knowing my words mean so much. Knowing they are not just words threw out into cyberspace makes me want to keep writing even more. I have always enjoyed it and it is the best way I can express myself. I am so thankful to everyone who encourages me to keep writing. Aside from my family and friends here at home, JoJo is one of my biggest supporters and he always has been. He believes in my writing like I believe in his music and we'll never stop. I've got you buddy. Circles.Never.End.

Thank you, JoJo!

The Other Side of Me

Most of the time, what you see is what you get, a very happy and positive woman who doesn't let Cerebral Palsy get in her way of living. I do just about everything anyone else does from taking care of myself to keeping a house in order.

However,  there is a side of me that most do not see. A part of me that longs for understanding and consideration. A part of me, that is even difficult for me to accept.

If you know me on a personal level then you know I am a very social person. I love being the life of the party, the social butterfly who mingles well in a crowd. I greatly enjoy going to live music performances. Music is therapy. It is my escape from everyday life. I also enjoy having dinner or just chatting over a cup of coffee or glass of tea.

For me, this part of my life has been lacking for a while. I handle it fine, for the most part. But,  there are times when it gets to me, when I reach my breaking point and cannot take anymore. This is the part of me that no one sees. This is the part of me that screams from the inside and wants to be heard. I go through feelings of being forgotten by my peers and thinking that if I could just drive myself around it wouldn't be that way. I would be included and thought of more. I wouldn't feel like my attempts to make plans were void.

I am not saying any of this for pity.  I'm saying it to speak out. To be heard. I realize that times have changed and most people I know are busy with their lives. I know you have jobs, kids, husbands, and wives. All of that comes first as it should. Sometimes though, I want to be invited out to do things by my peers without having to be the first to make contact and suggest such.

This is not something that I just started dealing with. I have dealt with this issue since my teen years. Most of my time then was spent on AOL, that's where most of my social activity took place. Other than that I was with my cousin and her friends or my sister and her friends.  Their friends became mine. The friends I had at school were just that, friends at school. Today, while I know many people I do not get to see them as often as I would like for reasons mentioned above. I spend a lot of time on Facebook or watching TV. I am also a gamer which gives me another way to connect to to people. While this helps me pass the time that I spend alone,  this is not how I want to spend the rest of my life.

I have not dated for two years and this is certainly not a plea for a date, but we all know that Mr. or Mrs. Right does not just magically appear at your doorstep one day. You've got to have some kind of active social life to really meet people.

So, what I am saying is I would like help in building my social life again. Do you want to go out for a cup of coffee and not have to go alone? Call me. I will gladly join you. I also need you to understand that there are reasons why I do not drive and those should be respected, not questioned. As for my wheelchair, I cannot help how heavy it is. I am able to get in and out of a car on my own but anything other than that (SUV, truck, van) I have to be lifted in and out of it.

If you have read this far thank you. It is not often that I share these kind of feelings publicly, but I have reached a point where I am ok with it because I realize people do not understand what they do not know. I wanted you to realize that my life is not always what you see. I have bad days too and often they are mentally and emotionally exhausting, but I make the best of them just like any other day.

Meet Butters and Batman

Meet Butters the 7 week old Lop. I named him Butters because he is very fast when you put him down on the ground and just slides through your fingers like butter. :)

Butters is not my first rabbit. I had one when I was a kid.. but did not handle it often so it was never very tame. However, when I first saw Butters I knew I wanted him even though I still was a bit unsure because of also having dogs. I had his name picked out upon first seeing him. 

He gets plenty of play time with me and also his bunny brother Batman which is my sisters/nieces rabbit. The dogs go outside while the bunnies are out, but not to worry they still get plenty of love too! 

I am very glad I have Butters. He instantly cheers me up if I am having a bad day. Tucker does as well. I am thankful for my furbabies. Growing up I was not much of an animal person. Now I do not think I could live without one. Stay tuned for more adventures with Butters and Batman!

I'll leave you with this picture of Batman. :)

Gene Watson at the Tivoli

This is going to be a post of few words. The pictures above say it all! I had a wonderful time and am blessed to have met such an amazing talent. For those who are not familiar with country music Gene Watson is a legendary country singer. He puts on a fantastic show - one I would see again for sure. What a great way to begin 2015!

Accessibility Awareness: Public Restrooms

Growing up I did not pay much attention to how accessible places were for people with disabilities. Mainly due to the fact that someone to get me where I needed to go with no problem. However, as I grew older and began to do more for myself I began to realize how inaccessible many places were; especially regarding bathrooms.

An accessible stall should have handrails as seen in the picture above on the right. They should also have enough room for the persons wheelchair and a person to aid them should they need assistance.

The picture on the left was taken by me at a local restaurant. As you can see there are no handrails. Aside from not having handrails, I was unable to close the stall door after entering and positioning how I needed in order to be able to transfer. Friends I was with had to stand in front of the stall (with their backs to me) to give me some sort of privacy so someone else did not just walk in on me. To make matters even more complicated there was not enough room for another person to enter the stall with me should a fall have occurred. Situations like this are not safe for anyone with a disability or who is elderly. If someone were to fall in that stall there is no way for them to even try to pull themselves up. I did speak with the manager this afternoon and he was very unaware of this issue. He sincerely apologized to me for the trouble I had and said that he would make sure it was fixed, to give him about a week. I plan to go back in a few weeks to see if any progress has been made.

This is not the only time I have encountered such an issue as this where I live. There are several places I visit that are not truly accessible to those in wheelchairs or otherwise. I know this blog will not reach many people, but it is one way to raise awareness!

Locks of Love

Since letting my hair grow out relatively long over the past few years, I have always wanted to donate it to Locks of Love once it was long enough. Well, that finally happened on Wednesday of last week! I was getting tired of having really long hair. It was becoming hard for me to care for so while my sister and I were out and about I made my decision and had it cut!

I did not freak out after it was done. I am glad that I was able to donate my hair to such a good cause. It feels a whole lot better and is much easier for me to deal with. :)

If you or someone you know would like to donate to Locks of Love or is in need of their services you can find more information here: http://www.locksoflove.org 

Holidays Are Here!

Hello fellow Bloggers!

I took a month and a half hiatus while my computer was being repaired. I have it back and I am ready to write for all you lovely readers! :)

Today I am writing about... you guessed it the holidays and the things my family has made tradition through the years. I am excited about writing this post because it is part of a link up party, of which this is my first!

This album is my favorite Christmas album. It is not Christmas time until I hear Gene Autry sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. My mom has this album on vinyl. When I was growing up we listened to the record every year. When it begins Gene asks you to pull up a chair and listen. I always sat right by the record player and listened to the whole album. Just last night (Monday 12-15) I was able to add the album to my Spotify music collection, now I can listen to it anytime I wish!

When my sister and i were little Mom and Dad would drive us around on the old back roads and through a subdivision or two to look at the houses decorated with Christmas lights. We also listened to silly Christmas songs as we drove along. It was always lots of fun! :)

Now that my sister and I are grown we have started the tradition of getting new Christmas PJ's every year and just hanging out with the family. I know, most kids get PJ's on Christmas Eve to wear on Christmas morning. Well, I will let you in on a secret... We always opened our presents on Christmas Eve! Now that gifts are not of great importance to us and we do not have to be 2 or 3 places in a night to see this part of the family or that one we spend the night at home with our parents and bake Christmas goodies while listening to Christmas music and just having a good time with one another. Of course, there are still gifts under the tree for my 7 year old niece, but she also enjoys the PJ's and baking. She is quite the crafty kid!

What are some of your families favorite holiday traditions?