For Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month by Guest Blogger Ila

The Disability Community is diverse and proud.  One of the blessings I have had as a mother of an autistic child is getting to know this community more.  Many amazing characteristics emanate from the people and families I have met who live with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Rett's Syndrome, Tourette's Syndrome, and other disabilities.  They are appreciation for things often taken for granted, thankfulness, resilience, perseverance, friendship, humility, strength, compassion, faith, and in many cases, unexpected joy.

Ila is one such person who exudes all these qualities.  I have had the pleasure to get to know her through the blogging world.  She first reached out to us, finding Philip's blog and asking him a question.  She recently asked Philip to be a guest blogger for World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, so stay tuned! Ila lives a happy and adventurous life with Cerebral Palsy (CP).  She has an excellent blog called Ila's Crazy Thoughts.  I invite you to check it out and catch some of her refreshing exuberance!  She has returned the favor by guest blogging for us for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month which is March.  So without further ado, I introduce you to 21-year old Ila from Italy!

Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day: Thank you CP!

WARNING: this post is extremely crazy and revolutionary.

Today I want to thank my disability for several reasons.

CP made me who I am, it is a part of me and the challenges I face make me a stronger person. The days in the hospital and the hours of therapy taught me to appreciate the small things in life. Without my disability, learning to put my shoes and braces on by myself wouldn't have been such a big accomplishment. I think that is one of the reasons why I am always so happy.

My disability is the reason why I have met many of my best friends and the awesome people in my life. If I didn't have a disability, I wouldn't have been part of this great big family, and I am so thankful for all the people from the special needs community who love me and support me everyday.

It is also a good filter: the people who don't like me because I am different are not good enough to be part of my awesome life.

Because of Cerebral Palsy, I see the world from a different perspective. I think if we all put our points of view together, we can all learn something from each other.

I can adapt: when something doesn't work for me, I find a different way to make it work. This applies to so many different things that range from brushing my hair to going on a trip with my friends.

I don't care about what people think: I have been picked on because of the way I walk, yelled at because it takes me more time to do some things, made believe I am worth less because of my disability. I don't care. I know what I'm worth, and I know that I can accomplish more than people think.

I love my life, even when it is hard. Without obstacles, I wouldn't be able to fully appreciate it.

I don't want a cure, I am happy with the person I am. I do want awareness. I want people to know what CP is, but I also want them to know that it is not a big deal and that I'm not so different from anyone else.

This post was originally posted on Ila's Crazy Thoughts.