What I Want People to know about Cerebal Palsy

     It's true that I have a disability, but I don't think of cerebral palsy that way. The word "disability" means "a physical or mental condition that limits your abilities".  I don't think that cerebral palsy limits my abilities. In fact, I am given insincere comments because of cerebral palsy that helps me to be sensitive to other people's feelings.
     Anyway, even though it is polite not to stare, I don't want anyone to avoid looking at me completely. I wear braces, also called ankle foot orthotics (AFOs), and it would really be nice for someone to look me in the eyes rather than at my AFOs. Or you could comment and say, "Those are really cool."
     Even though the comments that kids give me help me to be sensitive to other people's feelings, that doesn't mean I like them. So many kids say that I run slowly, but I wish they would focus on any of my other traits or interests rather than my physical success.
    And, if you were my friend, I'd like to talk with you about something other than cerebral palsy.  If you said, "Caroline, I'm interested in learning about Cerebral Palsy, can you tell me a bit about it?"  Then sure, I'd tell you some things.  But what happens instead is, people don't speak carefully and say, "Why do you walk different?"  So instead of being able to educate someone, I feel I have to defend myself, like as if walking differently is a bad thing.
     I don't like to be singled out, if I want to play jump rope, for example, I feel like an alien if you'd said, "Oh go SLOW so she doesn't trip."  I know it can be a kind gesture, but when someone changes the game because of me, I feel like a one-eyed dragon.  In other words, I feel different from everyone else in EVERY WAY.
    These are the things that I wish people knew about how I feel about cerebral palsy.

Anti-Bruises

SUMMER! Yes, it is summer, finally! Summer means lots of things to me, like no more waking up early and no homework. But it also means---
1. NO MORE INSENSITIVE COMMENTS
2. NO MORE BRACES
3. NO MORE FALLS
4. NO MORE P.E.
     Often, when I start school, thoughts like, "Wow, how many comments am I going to get?" and "Am I going to trip on the first day of school?" race into my mind. But with summer, I never have to worry about any of that. With most kids, they don't think about the things on my "What Summer Means to Me"list.
But it's true. This is what summer means to me.

Our Field Trip

Today we had a field trip.  My mom came as a chaperone and helped me on the bus. We went to the state capital.  I saw the House Of Representatives ' room and also the Senate's.  We got to go to the very top and looked down below us. It was cool.
     We travelled to the museum, too.  We had a scavenger hunt.  It asked questions about history.  We found the answers all over the museum.  We ate lunch on a picnic blanket.  There  were lots of stairs we climbed, but it was a fun field trip.

Being Treated Differently

Do you ever wonder what to say when people exclude you, but they intend to be nice?  They say,"Oh, don't let (someone) play that game.  She can't run, and she will get hurt."  I feel like, oh, even if I get hurt, let me have a shot at it.  If I get hurt, I'll get better soon and try again.  With jump-rope-ing, the same thing happens.  I trip over the rope and girls at school say,"Oh, there she is, so go slow so she won't get hurt."  Yeah, well, my braces don't slow me down, so I can do anything anybody else can.
Sometimes I say, "Why won't YOU fall, too, if I do?" and they don't answer and look uncomfortable. So I am still puzzled on that one.

Try

I have a blog.  I write about many things on my blog, but the main thing is about some of the struggles I face with tight legs.  I have CP, Cerebral Palsy.  It’s true that it is not very severe, but I still struggle with it.  I’m lucky because I can talk and walk and move my arms but yet I actually do have CP.

As much info as I am sharing, I don’t like talking to other kids about them, but I do get asked about them very often.  Often, I feel alone.  I feel like I’m the only kid with tight legs, but I know the truth – I’m not.

Yes, I go to Physical Therapy and wear leg braces and my legs are often sore.  I usually focus on indoor activities, like reading and writing to keep my mind away from my struggles.  I do participate in P.E.  And also, when my friends ask me to run, I usually do it unless my legs are so tight that they are pulling.

I enjoy to read articles about things similar to stuff like that by kids or grown-ups who have or had tight legs.  I am the only one in my family who has CP, but my parents make sure I know that they wouldn’t trade me, even for a kid without CP.

My family lets me vent about my legs whenever I feel the need.  Then, whenever I cry about that, they hug me and kiss me and just let me cry.  They get sad, too.  Whenever that happens, I feel so lucky that I have them to comfort me and help me through the challenges that I face.

So, I’ll be the first one to admit it’s hard.  It’s perfectly OK to cry about it for a little while.  But then, you gotta be strong and brave.  Just get back up and keep trying.  You have to try to get over that mountain that’s towering above you.  Try, and then you can do anything you want to do.

Don’t let anyone tell you that if cry about stuff or anything, really, that you’re a baby and not tough.  Because you are still tough and brave and strong.  The rollercoaster that life is goes up and down.  TRY, always TRY.