“DIGNITY, HUMOR, GRACE”

“Living with disability and chronic illness takes mental stamina. Using an affirmation helps lighten the load. This mini represents how the power of words got me through an incredibly difficult time. One simple sentence reminds me who I am and how I handle adversity – I choose to live with dignity, humor and grace.

For most of my life, I didn’t use affirmations. That changed in 2010 when I was diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease. Suddenly, I had to find my way in a life I never expected, one with chronic pain, weakness and growing dependence on others. I felt lost, overwhelmed, and powerless. To reclaim my power amid uncertainty, I created an affirmation that emphasized my strengths and became my lodestone. While I can’t control my increasing disability or the casual and systemic ableism around me, I can choose to live my best life despite constraints.

My reminder to live with dignity, humor and grace was a way to re-establish control, a conscious imposition of my will during the times when I felt overcome by problems and worries too numerous to manage. These challenges are represented by overlapping grey circles arranged in disorder and reinforced by dark, swirling quilting. Whenever I used my affirmation, my problems became more distinct and thus more manageable. Moreover, it cleared space for positive thoughts, shown by colored circles pushing their way out from the grey and quilting lines extending from the center.

I visualized my affirmation as an external factor, something I called on to help impose order on perceived chaos. Thus, I placed it on top of the circles. It’s extraordinary that a few simple words can reshape one’s reality. After 10 years of consistent practice, my affirmation is an integral part of how I approach life.”