I have taken a long time after telling Brett that I would write this, to actually sit down and put some words together. It feels strange to ‘tell our story’ because in so many ways we just feel like a normal family. Daddy, Mommy and baby. I’ve discovered in these last few months that much to my disappointment I am not a super-mother, I am very much the typical Mom who is doing all the [...]
I think it is important that I give an examples of how 'baseline' thinking can help us navigate difficult waters. 1.) The issue of employment equity is a difficult one. My take on it is that from my experience both young white and black people fundamentally want to feel like they are being treated fairly and of course that is a most reasonable thing, but I do want to latch on to the idea of [...]
I would like to think that I am good at putting my thoughts onto paper (virtual or not) but sometimes I come off as ignorant or unaware of something because the thought process that made me think or say something just wasn’t explained properly. So when the topic of transformation came up I was weary to even try to say anything about it. If you have been following the discussion there have been some really [...]
My name is Louise and I have Asperger's syndrome. Not many people know what this is, especially those in the church. There are two polar opposite views that I have come across in the church when faced with any mental or psychological disorder. On the one extreme its total denial of the illness or disorder (something can't be wrong with a Christian) and on another extreme its you have demons in you and we need [...]
My good friend, Linda Martindale introduced me to a friend of hers, Nkosivumile Gola at the TRC Re-Enactment meetings we both went to a week or so ago in Stellenbosch. When i heard that Nkosi had a blog i immediately asked him if he would consider writing a piece for mine. Not to give him an easy ride, i posed this topic to him - the fact that for white people who do want to [...]
Without getting too technical, the simplest way to explain S.Q.C.P. Cerebral Palsy - injury to the brain which controls movement of the body Quadriplegia (or Quadriplegic) – all four limbs are affected Spastic - spasticity in the body is high, affects the muscles, pulling the body in awkward directions My Little-Big Sister My little sister Gabriella, was born with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy, three and a half years before I arrived in this world. Although [...]
"Why do you wear those things on your knees?" "Look at Steph, she is so slow. Ha ha!" "Why can't she run and jump like a normal kid?" "Steph you're a freak." These are the refrains that followed me around as a child born with the mildest possible strain of Ataxia, which is a form of Cerebral Palsy. As an adult, I am incredibly fortunate that I now live a "normal" life, have a "normal" [...]
Brett has been nagging, I mean asking, me to do a follow up post to the one we did on adoption to see what life is like two years after adopting our daughter Rachel. I have been putting it off, mostly due to legitimate reasons. We have became a family of four as I gave birth to our second daughter, Emma, and so life does have that frenetic/blurry/chaotic/kid edge to it that makes it hard [...]
Being a dyslexic: Hi there, my name is Rebecca Benn, and I suffer (although I find my condition to be a blessing) from a learning disability or syndrome called dyslexia. The dictionary defines my syndrome as a developmental reading and spelling disorder that occurs when the brain does not properly recognise, transmit and process certain symbols, whether these symbols are letters or numbers. What this means for me is that as a 20 year old [...]
A Tough Miracle Thanks, but I've had mine Every once in a while, when I'm feeling particularly masochistic, I pay a visit to a different church. All usually goes well on arrival. I find an empty spot along the side or at the back, planning a quick escape after the service. Then someone who knows me spots me, and my weakness appears... I love a good chat, and even more, a good cuppa [...]