Humbly Courageous

Hello and welcome! I’m glad you are here. Wow, 2023 seemed to go by in the blink of an eye! This is my 47th and final blog post of 2023.  This year has been full of ups and downs, as is life. A life that’s full of challenges with good sprinkled in here and there. I have had some difficult moments regarding my disability this year. I’ve definitely noticed a downward trend in strength, but I’ve also noticed my will to fight continues to grow stronger, for which I am grateful. For me personally, I spend a lot of time leaning on my faith, and believing that my purpose on the earth is orchestrated by my disability. It’s just my story.  I have continued to get my stem cell treatments every 4 months or so. It’s hard to say how much they are helping. I do think they help with endurance and overall stamina. Plus, fighting against the beast that is Muscular Dystrophy, I need every little bit of help and hope I can get. I plan to continue them for the time being. Love my Dr. J! I’m proud...

Hello and welcome! If you are new to Humbly Courageous, welcome. I’m so glad you are here! Sometimes, our minds create stories that we believe will happen. Personally speaking, I think I waste a lot of time worrying about things that never happen, yet I often can’t help myself from dwelling on these fictitious scenarios. Maybe, it’s because I’ve endured a lifetime of stranger’s flippant and downright rude comments towards me and my disabled body. Totally unsolicited. When these stories don’t come to life, I think to myself, “how silly that I spent all this at time worrying about something that never happened!” I guess my best explanation for why I do this is a way of protecting myself from deep wounds caused by others who don’t even know me. Maybe, if I can think it before it happens it won’t hurt so bad. It’s happened countless times over my lifetime as a disabled person. It doesn’t matter if they don’t know me, or that their comments probably have more to do with whatever may he goin...

Hello, welcome to the holiday edition of Humbly Courageous. I am glad you stopped by! This time of year is a time of many different mixed emotions for many. Some enjoy the holidays, and for some it's a very difficult season for many different reasons. Whatever you celebrate, chances are you are feeling a tad overwhelmed. Maybe it's buying gifts, trying to please everyone, or anxiety towards holiday get togethers with family/friends that you haven't seen in awhile. Social anxiety is real! Perhaps, the holidays are the most joyful time of the year for you, and you just wish the season would last longer.  For me, I enjoy a lot of things about the holiday season. I absolutely adore the ambiance that the Christmas lights bring to my home. I really enjoy decorating for Christmas. However, this year it made me a little sad. I really noticed a difference in my ability to decorate on my own. Normally, my husband and I tag team the decorating. He likes to do the tree, and I do the ot...

Hello! I’m glad you joined me this week at Humbly Courageous. Life has felt like a whirlwind lately. I am wrapping up my time as National Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The last two years have been so incredible for me, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. In the meantime, I’ve started to look forward for my next way that I will continue to spread awareness and help educate others on disabilities. Good things are coming! For much of my life, I wore a heavy cloak of shame. I couldn’t shake it. Even if I was successful in ridding myself of it for a short period of time, I would encounter someone in public that would give me a condescending stare or rude comment, and there it was enveloping me again. I was ashamed of my disability. Embarrassed by it. Loathed it. Tried my best to separate myself from….well, myself. I felt like if I could fix this one thing then everything would suddenly be perfect. All my troubles erased. In my mind, it was THE cause of everything t...

Hello and welcome to another week at Humbly Courageous! I’m glad you are here! This week marks some big changes for me. My two-year term serving as the adult National Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association is coming to an end. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t shed a few tears these last few days. I will miss this role so much. On the other hand, I can’t help but to take a step back and take in all that being entrusted with this role has brought to my life. When I think about myself when I first started in this role to now, it’s impossible to deny that the growth that has taken place within me has been life changing. I forced myself outside of my comfort zone so many times, and well, that’s where we grow. Trying new things, not always knocking it out of the park, but being proud of ourselves for trying builds confidence. Below, I am sharing my farewell message to the MDA community that I wrote for Quest Media. I could never express in words all that this has meant to me, b...