Even supportive parents need reminders

My parents are a large part of my life. I can't imagine where I would be without their support, advocacy, and love. They always ensured that I had the same opportunities as my sisters and they never let me use CP as an excuse for my bad behaviour. I want to thank them for the way they raised my sisters and me. They learned early in my life that they would have to fight for what they wanted for me and they were never going to give up, no matter what the so-called experts had to say. I am a lucky lady to have such wonderful parents who let me be my own person, and not just a little girl with CP.  They encouraged me to be independent and helped me to set my own limits.

However, there were still times when I had to prove my independence. While growing up, my parents would help me bathe until I could do it all on my own. In my early teens, they insisted that someone else had to be in the house when I was bathing; they were apprehensive about what could go wrong. One time, I was thirteen and on my own for a couple of hours. The idea of taking a bath was stuck in my head and I wanted to see if I could do it without anyone home.

I ran the water, added bubble bath, sat in the bath, and washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner. I put shampoo on the edge of the bathtub and then moved my head along it. Once it was on my head, I rubbed it in with my hand, then I washed it out. I started draining the bath, got out, dried off, and put on a new set of clothes. I was debating whether I should tell my parents what I had done or not when my mom arrived home. It didn't take her very long to notice I was wearing different clothes. I decided to tell her the truth so I could see her reaction. She was upset that I broke the rule, but I needed to show her that I could this on my own and nothing bad would happen. After that, my parents let me have baths my way, even if someone wasn’t in the house. It made me feel like a normal girl and I like doing things on my own.

In laughter and in hard times, my parents are my advocates and my friends. My mom is like my best friend; I can talk to her about anything. My conversations with my dad revolve around money, home, and mechanical problems.  Among other things, my parents taught me to be honest, to “speak out and stand your ground”.  They believed you should “work hard at what you do”. What I appreciated the most was that they treated me the same as my sisters and not like a daughter with a disability.