One of my most useful but situationally frustrating characteristics is “stubborn,” I’m confident my husband and parents will confirm. I have no interest in asking them, though, so you’ll have to trust me. I’ve been a mama to my son for just over a year, and please believe I’ve had to fight my stubborn impulse down more times than I’ll count.
I’m being smart about this, at least: I’m not asking and I’m not counting.
I’m disabled and dependent on a wheelchair, so I’m constantly adapting the “normal” way of doing things, to accommodate my disability. More specifically, I’m forever pushing past my impulse response of ”no thanks, I can do it on my own” to people trying to help me. Truly, it has been among my biggest struggles.
Now that I’m a mama and I’m responsible for another life, though, I’m trying to not be so reckless in the name of my independence. I’m trying. I spent the first months of motherhood stuck in the “my situation is unique, so I have to figure it out on my own” mindset. But that was isolating. No surprise there.
So now, I’ve evolved: I realize that I don’t want to parent on an island, so I sought out community – a community of people who have a child, have a disability, know some tricks or, bonus points, all of the above.