July is Disability Pride Month | Be Happy in your own Skin

Image shows white text on a cobalt blue background. Text reads July is disability pride month Disability pride is sharing your life and gifts with society even when you are told you don't belong.

I do not usually consider pride to be a good thing to have, but in this case the word “pride” is necessary.

July is Disability Pride Month and it is time that people with disabilities be proud of who they are.

People with disabilities are constantly seen as less of a person just because they are different. Society sees a disability as something to be ashamed of.

I have a disability myself as I am visually impaired.

When I think of being proud of being disabled I do not mean have an arrogant or conceited attitude, because that solves nothing. When I think of pride, i think of coming to a place where you are happy in your own skin.

I think it means stepping out into the world confidently using your white cane.

I think it means going out into the world confidently in your wheelchair or crutches or hearing aids or any other assistive device.

Disability pride is sharing your life and gifts with society even when you are told you don’t belong.

So to everyone with a disability: do not let other people’s comments keep you down. We are here with a purpose and we have unique gifts to contribute to society.

Take pride in your unique life and shine!

I wrote this poem to encourage myself and others not to be ashamed of using a white cane.

I hope that this post will encourage any one that has a disability. Remember you are valuable and wonderfully created by God.

Psalm 139:14 KJV — I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Reflections: God is with you in the Waiting

Text reads Jesus is always by your side Even in the waiting

This journey through life can be filled with pauses at times. We are all waiting for something at one time or another.

As a Christian, heaven is something I wait for.

Waiting is not easy and it takes discipline at times. The hardships in life can make the waiting even harder.

I have to remind myself that I am not alone on this journey through life. Jesus is with me every second. He gives me the strength to hold on as I wait.

I wrote this poem expressing this point in my own life.

Help Me Wait

Text reads Jesus help me wait As I walk by faith As life tries to take My eyes far from you Help me to stay true And look ahead to Worlds still yet unknown To my final home There before your throne

The hope of heaven gives me the strength to wait no matter what may come in this life. I hope these words encourage you today.

The Visually Impaired Person Tag

Text reads some faqs and answers on life with low vision. Image below is a photo of me and text to the left reads the visually impaired person tag.

In this post I want to share my answers to the questions in the Visually impaired person tag. You can watch the video below or read on to view my answers. Here is a small glimpse of what life is like when you have low vision.

What medical condition caused you to be blind or visually impaired?

I have Retinopathy of Prematurity. The blood vessels in my eyes did not develop correctly and as a result my retinas had issues. The retina in my right eye completely detached leaving me completely blind in that eye. Doctors managed to save the retina in my left eye and I am thankful to God to have some limited vision in that eye.

  1.  In 3 words, describe your vision? 

Three words that describe my vision are variable, unfocussed and blurry. My ability to see changes depending on lighting. I am unable to see details and things seem out of focus to me. I get blurry vision when I am in very bright lighting especially white lights and very bright sunlight

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3. What is the hardest thing to do being blind or visually impaired?

The hardest thing is dealing with all of the misconceptions that still exist regarding the blind and visually impaired community. I hope to bring awareness and break down those misconceptions. I also find it frustrating when people address the person accompanying a blind or visually impaired person and disregard the other person because they are visually impaired or blind. 

4. What is the best part about being blind or visually impaired?

I would say that it is about being part of a supportive community where people can relate to each other and also living life a little differently. 

5. What question do you get asked most about or because of your vision? 

I get a lot of questions about my glasses because they are very thick.

6. Do you have a cane, a guide dog or neither?

I use a white cane when I am out on my own.

 7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone who is losing,| going to lose, or has lost their vision?

I would say learn as much as you can and asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

8. What is one piece of advice you would you give to a sighted person about interacting with a person who is blind or visually impaired?

Address the blind or visually impaired person directly when they are with a companion. 

9.Why did you join YouTube?

I want to share my experiences to hopefully be an encouragement to others. 

10. Name 3 people to do this tag.

I put this out there to anyone reading this who is blind or has low vision to share their story.  

Reflections: Thanking God for 35 Years

This is a photo of me. I am wearing a short sleeve black shirt with a long coral skirt. I have a black headband with a flower on it. Text on image reads Thank you God for 35 years

I have been doing some reflecting as I complete my 35th year on this earth. When I stop to think about it I realize what a journey it has been. I am so thankful to God for how far he has brought me. I would not be here without his love and grace. 

Early years

I was born 3 months early weighing 1 pound and 6 ounces. I almost died 3 times as a newborn. As a result of my premature birth I have an eye condition called Retinopathy of prematurity. Blood vessels in my eyes did not develop correctly and my retina detached in my right eye leaving me completely blind in that eye. Doctors managed to save the retina in my left eye and I have some limited vision in that eye. I have had several eye operations during my younger years but I thank God for the vision I have left. 

God’s faithfulness and grace

I was raised in church from birth and I got saved at a young age at a Christian camp. My journey to truly understanding the gospel was in fact a long one. I was saved young but I still was not completely sure of my salvation. It was in 2019 that I truly understood salvation was a gift I could not earn and that I just had to receive it. It was April 25, 2019. I am thankful to God for saving me and forgiving me of my sin.

Through the years

I found myself feeling a little behind in life at this age when I started to compare myself to others but I must not go down that road. I must instead stop and thank God for all he has done for me. I am thankful to be healthy, I am thankful for my family and I am thankful for all the experiences I have had through the years. This has made me who I am today. I am thankful that God has helped me to grow closer to him as each year goes by and that really is the most important thing at the end of it all. 

The years ahead

I will trust God with the years ahead and leave it in his hands. I hope to keep working hard on my blog and poetry and videos as I hope to be self-employed in the future. I hope to keep God first in my life. I know God will be by my side each day.

My Fitness Update (June 2021)

My fitness update june 2021 text is in white on a blue background #fitness #exercise #walking

Well, the time has come for me to give an update on how far I have come when it comes to my fitness goals. I had hoped to exercise each day starting in January but I did not meet that goal. The truth is that I have only recently started exercising more frequently in june. 

I have started walking for 15 minutes following the Walk at Home program. I enjoy it and I find that it gives me more energy the more that I consistently walk. 

I have also been more aware of the amount of calories I take in each day. I did some research to get an idea of how many calories I should be eating each day. I use the My Plate app to help me track what I eat. I am not very concerned with accurate calorie count because I am not using this for weight loss but it helps me have a rough idea of how much i take in. This has made me pay more attention to what I eat and helps me not to over do it. 

I hope to exercise more often this second half of 2021. I want to work up to the 2-mile Walk at Home program in the coming months. I will give you an update on how it goes for me at the end of the year. These are tips that help me and if you want to become more fit i recommend you to speak to your doctor and do your own research to find what will work best for you. What is your favorite way to exercise?