“Accomplishment begins with two words: I’ll Try! We never know unless we try.” In a world full of “you can’ts” hearing that phrase was not only surprising, but life changing. The advice came to me from a Former Miss America. Up until that point I was shy, afraid and ashamed but hearing that sentence was […]
One of my earliest memories is that of standing in the back of my Dad’s bicycle in Afghanistan, holding on to his shoulders and going all over the city. There were bombed buildings, women sitting on the side of the streets with their toddlers begging and war-amputee men trying to wash cars for a small […]
Paul was born on a cold December night in 2004 and from the moment he was born, my heart was flooded with emotions that I never experienced before. I immediately understood what people meant when they said they would give their life for someone else. I immediately understood the phrase unconditional love. I immediately understood […]
One day while at the park, a neighbor of ours who was an 8 year old boy commented on how sad it must be for Tinsley because of her missing fingers. I told him that it didn’t matter because she’s a happy and healthy baby who’s surrounded by so much love. He didn’t appear to agree and repeated how things would […]
When I went in for a foot surgery I never thought it would have had the impact it did on my life. I expected the days after the surgery to be rough, and I was totally prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for the following six weeks during my recovery period, and how during that […]
“A big life lesson that I have learned in the short time that I have been on this earth, is to not dwell. Find the silver lining in everything that happens to you, and never stop laughing.” ~Mother Teresa Although my name might mislead a bit, I am a mother of five and my name […]
On November 3, 1984, I was born strong and healthy without any signs of impending health complications. Similar to other new parents, my parents were excited for my life full of limitless possibilities. However, unexpectedly a few months later, they would begin endless doctors’ appointments that still continue today. At the age of four, I […]
Rheumatoid Arthritis doesn’t run in my family. Where and why I got it is still an on going mystery. But I did. Growing up I had what my family called “happy hands”. They were always happily doing something. Creating things with my hands, keeping them busy somehow, always relaxed me. Put me in a fabric or […]
My amazing husband and I have been blessed with three children from China that were “Born in our hearts,” as we like to say. This in itself presents a “visible difference” and a public challenge at times. You might be surprised at the comment/questions we get as a family. I am an advocate for adoption, […]
My name is Sarah Tassi – I’m a stay at home mom with my son, Preston. I’m 34 years old and live in Des Moines, IA with my husband (Jason) and our beautiful Preston who just turned two years old. We were blessed with Preston in 2012—with what we expected to be a typical pregnancy. […]
It was during my first mobility lesson at the Orientation Center for the Blind in Albany, California that I learned one of the reasons why blind people wear dark shades. “You should always protect your eyes with glasses,” Pamela instructed, standing next to me on busy San Pablo Street, “They keep things from flying into […]
Born with Muscular Dystrophy, I never really understood why people would stare at me for more then what is the normal time to stare at someone. I would ask my parents if I have something in my face or if my skirt was up, I remember them telling me that it’s because they find me […]
My husband Mike and I have a daughter, Nicole Kelly, who is the current Miss Iowa title holder through the Miss America Scholarship Pageant. –Pretty incredible, especially since the Miss Iowa Pageant was the second pageant she’d ever entered in her 23 years! But then, Nicole has always been one to try everything, from softball […]
When my husband and I were caught off-guard nineteen years ago when our daughter Julia was born with Down Syndrome (I was only twenty-four years old), we had a lot of, “What if’s?” For example, when Julia was only three years old, she jumped behind the steering wheel of my car, I took a snap […]
As I sat waiting in the hospital with Brennan in the OR last week, I looked around at the worried faces of the parents around me. I was not unique. We were all “in it together” but all for various reasons. One mom waited as her 5 year old finished her last chemo treatment. Another […]