Author: Jessica Grono

Pumpkin pie. Nothing speaks Thanksgiving more than pumpkin pie. I remember anticipating the taste of pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving sitting at my Mom-Mom’s dining room table. The fantastic sweet bite after a savory meal was worth every year’s wait. Pumpkin pie is my favorite pie to eat during the fall. What is your favorite? Even if cooking is out of your physical ability, I bet if you find a recipe, you can direct someone to bake. I loved Thanksgiving as a child. My grandmother was an excellent cook. Her house smelled like a delicious warm home that you never wanted…

Back in my high school days, I ignored the school marching band. I knew it existed, but I didn’t give it much thought. Now I regret it because I realize how much work it takes. I am a band parent. At the end of eighth grade, Laura received several emails to try out for the high school marching band color guard Undecided – we discussed it many times. I remember asking her if she has nothing to lose by attending the information meeting. Laura nervously went to the high school to the forum. To my surprise, Laura came home with…

Shopping is fun to do for yourself, but especially for other people. Christmas is approaching, so I want to share my favorite things. Specifically, this list is items that worked for me, having a disability. I hope it’ll help someone you know or yourself if you have a disability as well. IPads, iPhones, soft blankets and anything that makes life easier is always welcome!

Gratitude changes your life. Spend time dedicated to giving thanks. Journaling is an excellent way to think about why you’re thankful. Sometimes it’s challenging to find gratitude when life is hard. No matter what we do, life will be challenging at times. How we respond to the situation can make all the difference. I keep a gratitude journal. Some days I need to remember to write. When I remember to write in my gratitude journal, my mood is light. I’m happier because I know I have many things, people, and situations to be thankful.  My challenge for you is to…

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you were a child with cerebral palsy today? I recently took my son to the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania for headaches. Being there made me think if I had cerebral palsy growing up, what would life be like for me? Has anything changed for athetoid cerebral palsy? I have athetoid cerebral palsy with a mixture of other types. Athetoid cerebral palsy is unpredictable. Muscles often take control of you regardless of what you would want. Sometimes I’m calm, but anything can set off involuntary movements. Weather changes, mood, sickness, emotions,…

The Phillies Baseball team went to the World Series and lost. They gave it a great shot but fell short toward the end. Yet, for a brief moment, the Philadelphia area had solidarity. Politics didn’t matter, race or anything else, when our sports teams were doing good. Politics are always at the front of many minds. For me, it’s difficult being a conservative in a liberal town. I can only be who I am. I’m used to being different, though, because of having cerebral palsy. Lately, when I teach, there are kids in the class who think how I speak…

Motherhood amazes me. The fact that a woman can create and assist in growing a remarkable human life blows my mind. As a young girl, I loved babies. They’re not only cute but fascinating in how they learn and grow so fast. Women have a powerful gift, and I’m lucky to be a woman. Each Mother’s Day is different. One year, Jason wanted to give me his present because he didn’t understand the concept of a family present to me. My friend, who works as my attendant, took him to a place that sells produce and flowers so that he…

Father Stu is a movie worth watching. Movies aren’t my favorite because of the foul language, the subject, or I am bored. Father Stu intrigued me because I’m Catholic. I’m not just Catholic; I’m practicing Catholic as much as possible. I also found it interesting that Mark Wahlberg played the main character. Also, Stuart is the most unexpected man to choose the priesthood because of past life choices. It wasn’t until ten minutes before I went into the movie theater that I knew Father Stu also had a significant disability. Unfortunately, the disability progressed to eventually taking his life. My…

Styling my hair is fun! I went to have my hair colored, cut with some styling. A seemingly straightforward task for most can be somewhat tricky for me. Have you ever tried cutting hair on someone who can’t stop moving? I feel the difficulty in this for my hairstylist. I used to apologize for not being able to sit still constantly. But, in the last ten years or so, I realize this is me, and it’s their job to cut. I try help the stylIng so they can cut my hair as efficiently as possible, though. Muscle relaxers help, not…

Acceptance of yourself with cerebral palsy is right here. Firstly, cerebral palsy never disappears because there isn’t a cure. As a child, I thought when I turned 18, I wouldn’t have cerebral palsy again. I don’t know logically why I thought this. As I grew, I knew a cure wouldn’t happen, but still I dreamed. Sometimes I meet people that think God chooses certain people to have disabilities and somehow we are stronger than others. Or, we have a thicker skin than people without disabilities. It’s not the case. We are all human beings and should find acceptance of ourselves.…