Selectively Juggling

This is a great question and one which requires a decent, thoughtful response. I would like my post to resonate with families of children with disabilities. I would like it if just one person was able to take from my words, reflections, thoughts and actions the absolute importance of embracing the ‘moment’. The incredibly enabling gift of realising the past has gone; it doesn’t exist, and the same with the future, that doesn’t exist. The only real time that exists is this moment, this now, the present. It is here we can make choices; we have agency, power and freedom.

Related to this is the approach of selectively juggling life’s complex and often competing demands. So in order to do this, one requires the ability to say ‘NO’ to self-advocate and prioritise their own needs as well as others. Selectively juggling is a powerful coping tool, and it’s highly subjective and reflective of need. Learning to selectively juggle in the present moment is life-changing, especially for people who are caregivers of loved ones with complex support needs. Otherwise, you are constantly giving all your energy and time, leaving nothing in reserve. This leads to incredible fatigue, carer distress and anguish. We all know that you can’t pour from a cracked vessel or jug.

I hope that people are able to value their own unique voice, their unique perspective, and their own remarkable lens through which they view life from. I would hope my posts help others find self-love, self-compassion, self-worth and value. I would also hope that. they help others see that beauty is everywhere. More importantly, that, positive experiences can coexist with challenging moments. Just think of the rainbow; it exists purely because there is both sunlight and rain. So, regardless of the difficulties and challenges which are inherent in the life of a child with a disability, there is also joy, laughter, strength, resilience and healing. There are definitely times that can feel all-consuming and overwhelming, Yet you eventually learn that you can find a balance, embracing love, light and joy. However, also sometimes, just being OK is Okay. Ok is enough!

I would also hope to influence or inspire people to get out into nature, pick up a camera and see life through the camera lens. I’m not talking about selfies, but capturing nature in all its beauty, seeing life express itself through visual metaphor. I would hope that I can inspire others to learn to fully embrace themselves while breaking down some stereotypes in the process. I also hope that I can help educate, inspire and entertain others, leading them to take risks, make some changes and create a remarkable life, regardless of the hand of cards life dealt. I would also like to change the way people see ‘disability’. Instead of seeing it from the ‘disease and deficit model’ perspective, flip it to just being another way of humanity expressing itself through neurodiversity, physical diversity, cognitive diversity, and the list goes on.