Disabled and Thriving

Overcoming obstacles in an able-bodied world.

by Melissa Blake

An Open Letter To Myself

I know you're struggling right now and it seems like nothing is ever going to get better. You might feel like the walls are closing in and that no matter how hard you try, you're feel are stuck in that metaphorical mud. It's hard. I know. Read More

The Gift of Inner Strength

A few weeks ago, I found myself in the hospital. It was the last place I expected to be, in more ways than one. Read More

Finding Courage In Life

The grand cosmos has a strange way of putting everything into its rightful place occasionally. We never even have to lift a finger, either. It's almost as if all the work is done for us as we just sit by and watch the change happen right before our eyes. Sometimes, we didn't know we desperately needed this change in our lives. Read More

Fighting A New Kind of Disability

I'm sitting here at the doctor's office, and it's all I can do to keep myself from crying. Right here in front of these seemingly unsuspecting people. People reading Good Housekeeping. People just going about their days, about their lives. They'll probably leave here and not even remember that they almost became my human Kleenex. Read More

Happy Birthday, Pac-Man

I fell in love with this little yellow man when I was quite young. He zigzagged and chomped his way into my heart rather quickly, and though I didn't know it at the time, he was my gateway drug into a clandestine world of obsession and obscenely high blood pressure for a kid. And when he got a girlfriend with a little bow on her head, I won't pretend that I wasn't the slightest bit jealous. Read More

More Myths About Living With A Disability

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of guest-posting for Glamour.com on some myths associated with having a disability. What myths do you encounter in your own life that you'd like to squash? Read More

Take A Stand Against Bullying

There's a serious virus going around. A purely evil one. It's an epidemic no longer confined to elementary school playgrounds. Some might say that it's creeping into more aspects of our lives than ever before at unprecedented and costly rates.

Bullying. Read More

The (New) Social Network

My high school crush got married a few summers ago. The wedding resembled that of an elaborate fairytale: held in what looked like a centuries' old castle, the green beauty of the countryside and groomsmen and bridesmaids dressed to the Nines. It was the wedding every little girl sits on her bed daydreaming about. Read More

My Battle With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I wrote about my battle with post-traumatic stress disorder for TheFrisky, and would love to share an excerpt. Have you battled with the disorder? Read More

Fighting Irrational Fears

I've been thinking about irrational fears a lot lately. Well, I suppose I've been feeling them a lot too. Read More

The Joys of Fall

I love the Midwest. I'm pretty sure I've said this a time or two before.

In fact, when I was little (OK, and maybe not-so-little), I used to think John Mellencamp was talking about me when he sang that lovely little ditty about life in a small town. Truth be told, I've always prided myself on being a Midwestern girl to the core. Read More

Sometimes, It's GOOD To Be Selfish

I said goodbye to two things in the last month: Summer, and the joy of having summers off from my nine-month job as a college newspaper adviser. Read More

The Art of Making Friends

It's easy to make friends when you're young.

You hardly to have do any work to make it happen. Sometimes, all it takes is a play date set up by your parents, and before you know it, you're running in the grass and laughing with the girl from down the street whom you met 20 minutes earlier. Read More

Disability Bingo

Reliving The Joys of Children's Books

My family treated reading and books like a mafia of sorts.

You're initiated young, and you really don't have a choice in the matter. You can try to resist if you like, but there's really no point. You'll inevitably be pulled back in. Read More

An Emotional Birthday

Have you ever wondered what you would say to someone if you had one more chance to speak with them?

My father would have turned 59 this week, and I've had a lot of words swirling in my head lately. Here's a snapshot of what I'd say. Read More

Savoring the Sweets of Summer

A few weeks ago, I wrote of the charming yet simple wonders of corn. But I left out a piece of the puzzle. A kernel of truth, if you will.

While, yes, corn is extremely comforting to me (it must be a Midwest thing that courses through my veins or something), it also reminds me of something else. Read More

Find Comfort In The Little Things.

In these hard economic times, nothing is certain. It seems the all-mighty recession has plagued us with fears - fears that our lives will forever spin out of control at alarming rates. As the stock market plummets, our fears skyrocket. Everything seems to be changing. If only we could count on one thing, one tradition, to remain constant. Read More

Disabilities In Advertising

When I was little, one of my favorite activities was flipping through the JCPenney catalog. I'm not exactly sure why I enjoyed the simple activity so much, but I used to spend hours running my hands over the smooth pages and oohing and ahhing over the toys, clothes and just general shiny, happy people staring back at me. Read More

What's Your Summer Theme?

As many of you know, my mother works in a middle school.

School is out for the summer today, and I already know one of the first things she'll say to me as she breezes through the door, with her hair a cute, frazzled mess, and a collection of bins and school supplies collected during the year in tow.

"What am I going to do all summer?" Read More

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Seeing The Person, Not The Disability

I was overjoyed and almost in tears after I read this story from Darla, who was lucky enough to experience that kind of bone-deep, cuts-you-to-the-core love I hope for someday... Read More

What Inspires You?

Last weekend, I felt drained. On a Sunday afternoon walk with my mother, the sun shining (how's that for irony?) and the grass finally turning that green hue that reminds us of summer, my brain felt like one giant puddle of left-over-from-spring mud.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked my mother, hoping she'd say something warm and encouraging and cudle me up in a giant bear hug. Read More

Mother's Day: Tell Mom How Much You Love Her.

My mother came home one day a few weeks ago, and in her typical take-charge attitude, proclaimed she'd found the perfect mother's day gift for herself.

That's right. A gift from her daughters. A gift she picked out all by herself. Read More

Glee-ful Joy

I spent the majority of my weekend listening to soundtracks from Fox's breakout hit "Glee." I'm sure you've heard of it by now. It's the singing-dancing smash that's made being different cool and being your own person hip again. Read More

The Grand Inquisition

I've come to dread a seven-word question. I call it the Grand Inquisition because, literally, that's what it feels like. I'm sitting in a courtroom on the witness stand, poised to speak the whole truth and nothing but the truth to a jury - a jury that, as I glance in their direction, seem intent on staring me down. Read More

Disability "Dating" Rules?

You all know how I'm always trying to drill those stupid disability misconeptions out of your minds? Well, stand-up comedian Ryan Niemiller has actually found a better way to do it. His A Guide to Dating for the Handicapped takes the humor route, and I couldn't have said it better myself... Read More

And The Award Goes To...

A few years ago, I held my very own Oscar party. Well, OK, it really wasn't a party, as it consisted of my mother, sister and me watching the opening monologue, the handing out of the first few awards and then going to bed.

But I did make cute little invitations and provided a very nice potato chip spread. Read More

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Seven Years Later.

My father committed suicide 7 years ago today. I wanted to mark the day, and since you've already read about my journey as a daughter, I give you my mother's journey - in her own words. My parents were married for almost 25 years, and were the happiest and most-in-love couple I've ever met. Here is her story... Read More

Disabilities & The Dangers of First Impressions.

Living life and thriving with a physical disability, I think I've caught people off guard more than a few times. Some are surprised I'm not homebound, instead actually working and getting out in the world. Read More

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Inspiration From A Father To His Son.

Have you been following the amazing blog 1001 Rules for My Unborn Son by Walker Lamond? Some of my favorite recent Rules (he's up to Rule #425 now) include:

*No one wants to watch you practice the guitar.*Don't linger in a doorway. In or out.*If you choose to go in drag, don't sell yourself short.*If you want to know what makes you unique, sit for a caricature.*Don't jog shirtless. Read More