by Kate | Nov 9, 2017 | Chronic healing, chronic illness, Disability, kind promises, Love, Vulnerability
As someone with significant disabilities, I worry that I am a burden on people around me. I tell myself monster-stories about how much better the lives of my loved ones would be if they didn’t have to sacrifice on my behalf. I imagine that such thoughts are noble,...
by Kate | Oct 17, 2017 | Chronic healing, chronic illness, Gratitude
It is gratitude month – the month where I consider the kind promise “I will appreciate blessings.” I have been reading about practicing gratitude here and here (among others). One of the things I like about practicing the promises is the way that I get to give each...
by Kate | Aug 8, 2017 | Chronic healing, Disability, kind promises
I am just back from a 27,000+ mile, 10 day trip from Minneapolis to Montréal and back again. I had a wonderful time. When you are traveling, especially when you are traveling with a significant disability, it helps to adjust your attitude before you go. I intended to...
by Kate | Jul 21, 2017 | Chronic healing, meditation, mindfulness
For all anxiety and fear, all sufferings in boundless measure, their source and wellspring is the mind itself. –Shantideva I am having trouble with my morning PCA staffing. These are the people I count on to help me get out of bed in the morning, get dressed,...
by Kate | Jun 20, 2017 | Chronic healing, chronic illness
We are born into two cultures: the wider culture around us and our family culture. Both give us messages about what it’s like to have a human body and what we might think about our body in particular – its height and breadth,, the textures of our skin and hair, the...
by Kate | May 16, 2017 | Chronic healing, connectedness
I know a woman who also has MS. We’ll call her Cynthia. She is about five years older than I am and her disease is a bit more advanced. Each person with MS has a different experience, but Cynthia and I seem to be traveling down the same path. Jenny, the PCA who works...