So I like to write when I’m inspired rather than sticking to a set time for some “marketing” purpose because I want these to be authentic rather than forced. I chose to write about the topic above because I was inspired by a conversation I had today, so here it goes……
I have mild cerebral palsy. I had a stroke when I was born due to a variety of reasons and was officially diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 18 months. Looking at me most people would not be able to tell that I have cerebral palsy, unless they focus on how I walk.
While my body and brain have adjusted to my cerebral palsy over the years, this was not the case during my childhood.
When I was a child, everyone could tell that I had cerebral palsy. I was casted twice, wore a brace on my left leg and I would often raise my left hand without having any clue that I was doing so. Because of this I was constantly picked on and bullied, seen as the “other” and often asked myself “why did this to happen to me” and “what did I do to deserve this.” I could go on, but that’s not the point of this story.
Today, I know why I was dealt this lot in life. It has helped me become the man I am today and I am grateful for that. This is not to say that I don’t still get frustrated with my limitations, but I now know to how to put those limitations into perspective.
The point of this story is to talk about my Superhero, my mother. I already mentioned that my mom was a single mother for most of my life. What I didn’t mention is that I was fortunate that my mom is also a bad ass Native and Latinx woman who had an amazing career and successfully raised two kids, even with the added difficulties of raising me.
I am fortunate that my mother went to college (she never lets me lets me forgot that I chose not to attend her alma mater, UCR, for college) and also holds a masters in counseling. My mother was pregnant with me in grad school and went on to become a social worker after graduation.
When I was a child, my mother raised two kids on $30,000 a year. She put us both in private school (most likely because it should’ve protected me from bullying, but unfortunately kids can be mean). She made sure that I had access to occupational therapy, speech therapy, the best medical care, and she spent every morning helping me stretch even though I fought her every single time.
As a child I hated stairs, and part of my occupational therapy was to walk up and down stairs. I would scream my head off and I have no doubt that it was a painful sight to watch, as it would be for any parent.
I remember my mom confronting kids who bullied me after I would walk up to her crying. She protected me, she challenged me, she gave me everything I could have wanted in life. I did karate as a kid, played sports when I was physically able to, enrolled in tap dancing and played a part in the nutcracker alongside my sister (it was a fun experience).
My mom did this all while working her way up the ladder as a social worker. I remember her being on-call and having to often work on weekends. By the time I was in high school, my mom became the Assistant Director for the Department of Child Protective Services for the County of Riverside in California. While in college, she became the Deputy Director for the Department of Family & Children’s Services for the City and County of San Francisco. She was a giant among her peers and one of the only (if not the only) Native and Latinx woman holding such title.
She’s my Superhero and everything I do is to make her proud.
