My Presentation on Ability Challenges and Lifestyles to the Student Body and Faculty of Rowe Middle School in Oregon

In April of this year, Wilbur Rowe Middle School in Milwaukie, Oregon, celebrated ability challenges and lifestyles.

Here is the part of the message that Molly Burke, the school Success Coach, sent me via my Facebook page:

Our students have a weekly homeroom-like Community Connections class, where we cover a variety of topics such as social-emotional learning, college and career readiness, and celebrations of various cultural, racial, ability, sexuality, etc., heritage months and themes throughout the year.

In April we are celebrating and exploring Ability Challenges and lifestyle. The various aspects of what it’s like to live with visible and invisible differences, abilities, and inequities. A major hope we have is to raise awareness and increase understanding so our kids have more empathy for those experiencing life through a presumably more difficult and less forgiving lens. But we don’t want to make any assumptions. Ultimately, we believe sharing stories teaches as well as anything and would be honored if you wanted to contribute to our school-wide lesson. It’s an opportunity to educate 800+ students and 50 staff.

Might you be interested in saying a little something about yourself and what your life is like? Something simple, in a 2-4 minute video?

She even offered me twenty dollars for my time. I said to put the money to good use at the school. You can imagine I would’ve paid her to spread my message of hope to a group of kids who were all going through their own challenges of early adolescence.

So, I made a video for her to show the students, and they loved it. Here’s what Molly wrote when I asked how it went over:

“The students loved your video and felt it was very uplifting…Thanks again for your participation!!”

That made my heart warm, for sure. You can see the video on my YouTube channel, along with other videos of me spreading my message of hope. Please give it a like and subscribe.

Warmly yours,

Karen

The Healing Horse, Ch. 17, Scene 2: At the School

In this scene from The Healing Horse, Karen and Mama go to the local elementary school treasure hunt. Karen hopes to find gold and jewels. Of course, she does not, but in an upcoming scene, she finds much more.

The photo is of a car exactly like Mama drove. It’s for sale, and who knows? It might even be her car lovingly restored. (Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/224194887683710234/

Scene 2: At the School

In her dream, Karen recalled a Saturday morning when Mama had taken her to help run errands. As they drove past the neighborhood elementary school in Mama’s 1952 Chevy Styleline Deluxe, they saw a banner advertising a school treasure hunt stretched across the street. The school was a short walk from their house, and the hunt began at ten o’clock, the next Saturday morning.

Karen asked, “May I go, Mama? And would you like to come with me?”

“Sure! I think that would be great fun for the two of us. We would have a blast! A day full of frivolity, right?”

“Right!” Karen repeated.

The week seemed to take forever to pass, but at last Saturday came. They both got up early and could hardly wait to walk to the school. They danced around the kitchen to the AM radio, and at nine-thirty, they danced out the door and down the sidewalk to the school. Through the chain link fence around the playground, they saw hundreds of children running and playing, scurrying here and there across the grassy playground. Passing through the gate, Mama and Kitten headed toward a white shed that was surrounded by parents and teachers.

Mrs. Proctor, the school principal, stood at the center. A tall, blond woman who wore a suit to work, today she wore black flats and a short-sleeved navy and white checked dress with a mandarin collar. Kitten and Mama knew her from earlier events. Even though Karen attended a special school several miles away, she was a regular at the neighborhood school’s carnivals and other events.

“Hello, Mrs. Hershstein and Karen,” Mrs. Proctor said, as she bent forward to focus on Kitten. “It’s so nice to see you at another of our events. Are you ready to find the big treasure?”

“I sure am! I’m ready to find all the gold and jewels!” Kitten replied in a serious tone.

“We’re about to start. I’m going to use the bullhorn to call the children, now. Maybe you ought to get into position, near the edge of the asphalt. I’m going to have the children line up in rows on the hardtop and then race across the lawn.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Proctor,” Mama replied, her voice rising over the children’s chatter. “I’ll get Karen in place.”

The Healing Horse, Ch. 17: Trampled, Scene 1: Kitten, Five Years Old and Aglow

This scene, Karen has just returned from a triumphant day at Disneyland during which she received a prediction that someday she would become a leader and a dancer, and in her dreams that night she relives an earlier event when her inner wisdom showed her how to turn a nasty accident into a positive learning experience. This foreshadows more difficulties to come, but it also affirms her power to deal with them. (Image by Bellinon from Pixabay)

Scene 1: Kitten, Five Years Old and Aglow

That night, in her dream Kitten was five years old and aglow with new confidence, new insights, and a developing sense of self-worth.

In her little girl mind, she saw that life was more than limiting obstacles. She did not have to play into the delusion that life was a struggle against impossible odds. She could turn any negative situation or comment into affirmations of herself. These included painful experiences that she could see as pure, meaningless suffering if she chose to, but she did not so choose. She knew that she could live her life according to her beliefs—happily—and she could make her life manifest the joy she felt in her heart.

An instinctive, spontaneous wisdom told her that she had untold wishes and untapped desires, and a penchant for fulfilling them. She felt in her gut, in the deepest resources of her being, truths that she knew most people never found. She listened to this wisdom. This universal sixth sense was her definitive source for judgment. As an inner compass, it gave her direction, and the knowledge of right from wrong.

Knowing this, she also knew that there would be time for fun. Today, she thought she recognized an opportunity for fun. Her sense of self-worth gave her the courage to ask Mama about going to the neighborhood elementary school’s Annual Treasure Hunt.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 16, Scene 6: A Mother’s Reflection

In this scene, Mama reflects on the day and what it had taught her Karen, and on what her Karen had taught her. Perhaps her little girl would someday become a dancer. Now it was a dream, but it could become a reality.

The picture is of Virginia Myers in the 1,000th production of Edison Studios. The year was 1912. The title was Dream Dances. Used with permission of the Myers Family estate and courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. (Edison Co., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.)

Scene 6: A Mother’s Reflection

After tucking her girl in for the night, Mama retired to her own bedroom and changed into her long flannel nightgown before slipping beneath the covers.

As she lay staring up into the dark, she thought about the day. Working up the nerve to walk from their old house, near downtown Santa Monica, all the way to the Pier had taken her Karen weeks. But look how that worked out. Now she had a horse and was brave enough to take him to Disneyland. She was learning to think for herself and to make good decisions.

After a few minutes, she realized she was too wound up to sleep, so she tiptoed to her daughter’s room and looked at her baby, again. She looked so peaceful sleeping there, all snuggled up in her bed. Mama prayed to herself and the heavens above. She wished that she could do something to keep her daughter feeling that harmony within herself, always.

“There,” she whispered, as she covered her with her down comforter and laid her arms gently on top of the covers.

She looked down at Karen one more time. In spite of all her concerns, Karen had tried and succeeded. Karen had taught Mama a very important lesson that day. She would never let her fears stop her, and maybe she did have a destiny as a dancer, impossible as that sounded.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 16, Scene 5: A Mother’s Promise

In this scene, Karen and Mama discuss the day, and then Mama makes a surprising promise that foreshadows what will happen later in the book.

Scene 5: A Mother’s Promise

Karen climbed the steps to the front porch of the Craftsman bungalow and let herself in. She smelled chicken soup cooking in the kitchen and took in a deep breath. That was exactly what she wanted to eat, and then she would go to bed. She heard Mama call her name, and she kicked off her shoes before going to meet her. After a big hug, they carried their bowls of soup to the dining table and sat down.

Karen told Mama all about the day, even the parts about Pegasus talking and Madame Leota’s prediction. She repeated it word for word.

In a future time not long away
You will dance and lead the way
Follow the pied piper, the dancing man
He will show you that you can.

Let no discouragement block your way
No matter what authorities say
You can dance and lead the way
You will show others that so can they.

Beware the white coats and teachers false
Stick close to your horse and teacher true
Eyes on your strengths, not on your faults
Become the one who is truly you.

Mama thought for a moment, and her eyes filled with tears, as she thought about all the discouragement her daughter would, indeed, face.

“That all makes sense to me, my Krana Layala, but it’s been a long day. We both need our sleep. But I will tell you that I will find you a dance teacher. I promise.”

Tips for Moving With a Disability by Jillian Day

(Image via Pexels)

If you are considering a move, then here is some advice on how to do it. It certainly got me to thinking. Do you, dear reader, have some tips on moving with a disability? Maybe you have some stories you’d like to share. If you do, then leave me a note in the comments section, and if you’d like to write a post for Whispers of Hope just say so. I’d love to hear from you.

–Karen

[Editor’s note: Jillian Day created 508Assist.org to help people all across the web make their sites accessible to individuals with disabilities. She was inspired to start 508Assist.org when a close family member, who happens to have a visual impairment, had trouble finding a dinner recipe online that he could read easily. When she’s not chasing after her little ones, Jillian enjoys being outside, whether she’s fishing, hiking, or geocaching with her family.]

Tips for Moving With a Disability

by Jillian Day

In general, moving can be stressful. The home-buying process can take time and requires careful consideration. Moving your belongings is another challenge, regardless if you’re moving to your forever home or a long-term rental. A disability on top of all this only furthers the difficulties; however, when you prepare for the process in advance, you can lessen the struggles.

First-Time Home Buyer Tips

If you don’t actively monitor your credit score, start now. Sites like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame offer the convenience of credit monitoring online. You can instantly access your score from multiple major credit bureaus at home.

Evaluate all aspects of your score thoroughly. If you identify any errors, initiate a dispute immediately. Try to pay off any outstanding debts before you start applying for a mortgage. Your eligibility for a better loan rate depends on your credit score, so you may want to postpone moving, if possible, until you can improve your score.

Before you start shopping for homes, determine a realistic budget. It’s easy to find a home you love, but your dreams may be crushed if it’s not in your price range. Additionally, if you take out a loan that requires too much of your monthly income, you could find yourself struggling in the future.

As a general rule, financial experts advise spending no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on your mortgage, including the cost of taxes, property insurance, and mortgage insurance.

Get all your paperwork in order that a lender might ask for, such as your income tax returns from the past two years and paystubs.

Make sure you have an experienced agent who has a solid reputation in the community. Your agent makes all the difference.

Additionally, look into any assistance programs for first-time home buyers as well as assistance programs that help with modification expenses.

Finding a Home

Before you begin your home search, make a list of your needs and desires. Make sure you consider any accommodations you require for your disability, such as a one-story home with an open floor plan.

As you look for a property, keep an open mind. Look at the home’s potential rather than its existing condition. Consider that you can make alterations to the house to make it what you need if it’s not handicap accessible.

If you need to rent while house hunting, make sure to use a website that allows you to search for accessibility. Do a little window shopping, and you’re sure to find a suitable spot where you can live comfortably until you find the perfect house.

Preparing to Move

Start decluttering your home as soon as you can, even before you’ve located a new place. In addition to the moving process, you’ll have obligations before closing that may make it difficult to get everything you need accomplished. If you start decluttering as soon as you know you’re moving, you’ll make life easier during the moving process.

Don’t wait until the last minute to hire a moving company. You can find top-quality and trustworthy movers on sites like Angi which also offers detailed reviews and ratings from previous customers.

Pack Light

If you know you’ll be doing some or most of the moving, make sure you pack boxes lightly so you can easily move them. Even if you ask someone to help or hire a moving company, packing light will make it easier for them.

Stay Organized During Packing and Unpacking

You may find organizing everything incredibly time-consuming, but you’ll save yourself time in the end.

Pack everything based on the room it’ll go in, and keep those boxes together. Go so far as to organize based on where you’ll put the items in your new home.

When you have everything prepared in advance for a big move into a new home and take one step at a time, you can reduce the stress involved and have a successful experience.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 16, Scene 4: A Revelation Under the Moon

image of a jetliner bisecting the quarter moon in a night sky

In this brief scene, little Karen’s life continues to change as her ideas about herself and what she can do in life change.

Scene 4: A Revelation Under the Moon

As Karen walked beside the deserted Christmas Eve road, the words of Pegasus and Madame Leota ran through her mind. Now, she knew that dancing would be a major part of her life, but how? With one leg and an arm paralyzed, how could she dance? How could she lead the way, and what did leading the way mean?

The roar of a jetliner far above her in the sky broke her revery, and as she watched she saw its silhouette bisect the quarter moon, and in that moment she knew that if people could fly, then she could dance.

But she needed to find a teacher.

She hurried on, so she could discuss this with Mama.

[Photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash. You can follow him at https://www.instagram.com/chrishenry/]

The Healing Horse, Ch. 16, Scene 3: Reflections on Disneyland, Magic, and the Future

In this scene, Karen and Pegasus reflect on the magic that happens when people accept each other as they are, and on Madame Leota’s prophecy of great things to come for Karen.

image of moonlit clouds in the sky

The image of clouds in a night sky is courtesy of WikiMedia Commons and W. Carter.

(W.carter, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 3: Reflections on Disneyland, Magic, and the Future

As they watched the sunset fade and the light of the moon illuminate the clouds, Karen snuggled back against Pegasus, thankful for his body heat on this chilly Christmas Eve night. Her mind went back over the day, and all that she had experienced and learned.

“You know, boy, I think if there’s one thing that sticks in my mind about this whole trip, it’s how important it is to decide what you really want to do, and then figure out how to do it.”

“I am sure you are correct, Kitten, but what about speaking up for yourself? If you had not spoken to the tram driver, we might still be waiting to get into Disneyland.”

“You’re right, Pegasus. It’s not enough to know what you want. You have to speak up. You have to advocate for yourself and others.”

“I learned something, too,” he replied. “I learned that there really are magical places in the world. You do not have to make a choice between reality and magic. Sometimes, magic is the reality.”

“You mean like in Disneyland…Yes, Disneyland has real magic in it. And you know what else I noticed? In the right place, in the right situation, even ordinary people can accept disabled people and magical horses. All day long, I kept expecting some well-meaning adult to tell me I couldn’t do something I wanted to do because of my CP. But nobody did. They all accepted me as I am.”

“It was the same for me,” Pegasus replied. “I never talk in public, but within Disneyland and its magic, I not only talked, but people listened to me and accepted me as I am.”

They watched the clouds move in the moonlight, and then together they recited what Madame Leota had told Karen:

In a future time not long away
You will dance and lead the way
Follow the pied piper, the dancing man
He will show you that you can.

Let no discouragement block your way
No matter what authorities say
You can dance and lead the way
You will show others that so can they.

Beware the white coats and teachers false
Stick close to your horse and teacher true
Eyes on your strengths, not on your faults
Become the one who is truly you.

Without another word, they walked into Pegasus’ stall. Karen removed his saddle and brushed him down. She kissed him on the cheek, and they both sighed.

He said, “It will happen, Kitten. It will all come true.”

She kissed him, again, and began her walk home.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 16, Scene 2: Sunset at the Ranch

In this scene, three important events occur. First, Mama shows her happiness with Karen and with how Karen is now approaching life. Second, Karen again exerts her will by asking to stay with Pegasus. Third, she recognizes that she and Pegasus need time to reflect on all that they learned during the day, that they need time to let the meaning of the events sink in.

The time of day is dusk. The sun is setting over the Pacific. Good time to reflect. Here is an image of what the sky might have looked like, as they watched the sun set over the horizon of Topanga Canyon. Thanks to WikiMedia Commons and user Jusdafax for the picture.

(User:Jusdafax, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.028, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 2: Sunset at the Ranch

When Rocky turned off the truck engine in the parking lot at Sierra Nevada Stables, Karen opened her eyes and looked up into her mama’s face.

“Why are you crying, Mama?” she asked.

“Because I’m so proud of you, my Krana Layala. You organized this whole day as a gift to your horse. You spent the whole day in a strange place without me or anyone else to watch over you. And now you’re almost home, safe and sound.”

Karen smiled, as her mama wiped away the tears and stroked her cheek. Then Rocky cleared his throat. She got his meaning. It was getting late. She and Mama could have their moment, later. He had chores to do, now.

“Mama, let me help Rocky with Pegasus, and then I want to stay here for a while, so my horse and I can reflect on what we learned, today. I’ll walk home in a few minutes, and we can have supper together. Okay?”

Mama nodded. Karen hopped down from the pickup to the ground, and a few minutes later she waved goodby to Mama, thanked Rocky, and led Pegasus toward the barn for the night. Outside the barn door, they gazed at the pink clouds of the sunset for a few minutes.

“Let’s stay here and enjoy the beauty of the sky, while we reflect on our marvelous day,” Pegasus said.

“I’m with you on that, boy. It was a perfect day.”

The Healing Horse, Ch. 16: Back to the Ranch, Scene 1: Truck and Horse Trailer

In this scene, Karen and Pegasus reflect briefly on their Disneyland day, and then Karen dozes on the way home.

Scene 1: Truck and Horse Trailer

When the tram reached the parking lot, Karen got off at the same stop where she had got on in the morning. She and Pegasus stood patiently, both reflecting on the day. The sun was setting, and she looked forward to going home.

After a few minutes, she saw the big pickup truck moving slowly between the rows of parked cars. It stopped in front of them, and Mama and Rocky climbed down from the cab.

Mama hugged Karen and said, “Oy vey! My Krana Layala, I’m so glad to see you. Did you have a fun day?”

“Yes, Mama,” Karen replied. “I’ll tell you all about it on the way.”

She helped Rocky load Pegasus into the trailer, and then climbed up into the cab. She wanted to tell her Mama all about what happened, but as soon as Rocky began the trip back to Topanga Canyon, she fell sound asleep with her head in her Mama’s lap.