A kind reader forwarded this insightful blog post from ChronicMom.com. The blogger's perspective resonates so strongly with me, as it may to some of you. So much of the public story about chronic illness and disability is about making currently able people feel better about themselves by presenting them with an endless carousel of "inspirational" narratives about ill and disabled people accomplishing their goals.
I mean, sure, someone like Mary Duffy is an incredible artist. The fact that she has created gorgeous, complex work is undeniable. That she's done this as someone born without arms adds another degree of difficulty that few professional artists have to face.
But we don't all have to be Mary Duffy. We don't have to be brilliant painters and teachers. We get to live our own lives as best we can.
