Belonging
"“You belong in every place.” -Maya Angelou Before starting this blog, I shared a Facebook post that I thought was fitting to revisit as I reflect on the powerlifting meet from this weekend. In this post, I described how my Cerebral Palsy sometimes makes me feel as though I’m stuck in limbo. Growing up, I was strong enough to make it through a workout, but not coordinated enough to make a basket or score a goal. Because I was never part of a team sport, I didn’t experience the exhaustion that comes from tough practices or the pride that comes with seeing results. The toughest thing though, was my struggle to find a sense of belonging because I felt like I straddled this invisible line between able-bodied and handicapped, and that line felt like an island with a population of one. In the weeks leading up to the meet, I had anxiety about nearly every aspect of the event. The night before though, I thought about something pretty simple --if my brother-in-law is comi...