Humbly Courageous

Hello and welcome back to another week! If you are new here, I hope you learn something new or feel a sense of camaraderie in this space. That’s what it’s all about! Last week I found myself riding around the streets of Washington, D.C. and speaking in different lawmaker’s offices regarding airline accessibility. It felt surreal to be sitting in their offices using my voice for change. It was definitely a pinch me moment! I was so honored to be there among many other amazing, seasoned advocates. We were all there to raise our voices for one thing. Change in airline accessibility. I learned so much on this trip. I had done one other Hill Day, but it was virtual. While I enjoyed that experience, there is nothing like being in person talking to another human face to face about this ultra urgent matter. People with disabilities need major change in the airline industry. As it stands, the accommodations for those with disabilities are pathetic. People are often injured, wheelchairs and assi

Hello and welcome back to a new week here at Humbly Courageous. For my new readers, welcome! This week I had an opportunity to do an interview for a really unique and exciting project coming out this summer. I will share more when the project is finished!  One of the interview questions led me to the thought and realization that every good quality that I embody has undoubtedly emerged from the adversities in my lifetime. A few that came to kind were perseverance, empathy, patience, being a good listener, having grace for myself and others, grit, compassion and resilience to name a few! The older I get, the more clear the view becomes when I look back on my lifetime, and the mountains I have climbed, in reference to my life with my disability. All that time, all those years of wrestling with myself and the uncertainty, insecurities and heartbreak that came with being undiagnosed for 44 years, was not all for nothing. It was ALL for something. Something good. Something I never ever could

Hello and welcome back to another week! If you are new, I’m glad you stopped by! Last week I started you out on my Boston Marathon journey as a duo bike rider, which is how I participated. So, this is a continuation of that journey and eventually a wrap up of the entire day.  As we started to find our rhythm and settle into the 26.2 mile journey to the finish, I made sure I had my things in order for a smooth ride. The weather was great for Jamie about 50 degrees and overcast, with a light rain here and there. Honestly, not too bad for me either. I was definitely layered up as I said, but comfortable.  Somewhere at about 2-3 miles in, the elite men came thundering by us. My boys were anxiously awaiting the video that I would take. As runners, they thought this was a pretty cool thing for us to be able to see. And it was. I won’t elaborate, but let’s just say the video that was supposed to be, sadly was not. But…WOW it was so incredible to see that type of athleticism so close! In just

Hello! Welcome back, or if it’s your first time here, thanks for stopping by! So, I did a little thing on Monday. I participated in the 127th Boston Marathon! This marathon marked my 4th. My husband Jamie, aka my legs for the race, and the other part of my team, was of course by my side. Without him, I wouldn’t be racing! We use a special running bike built just for me, called a duo bike. Our first race was in 2019 at the Chicago Marathon, and we have since also completed the New York City Marathon and the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. I had been to Boston two times before this marathon and watched Jamie run. Being a spectator was a lot of fun, and I love the city. The energy there is amazing! I really never dreamt I’d be a part of it one day. The first time I ever saw or sat in a duo bike was at the expo before his 2019 Boston marathon. It was really cool to be able to sit in one and feel someone pushing me in it.  My first time seeing a duo bike We’ve come a long way since that d

Hi, welcome! I’m glad you stopped by! I just wanted to run in to see if I could find a pair of tennis shoes. Just a quick trip in and out and I’d be on my way. This was over 20 years ago when I didn’t have to give as much thought to a quick trip into a store. I didn’t have to worry about if there was a curb to get up onto, or if I may just sporadically lose my balance. Don’t get me wrong, walking was difficult, but not nearly as much so as it is today. It happened quickly after I arrived. Someone left a shoebox on the ground and I didn’t see it. I tripped and fell. Ugh. I managed to pull myself up from the ground using the shelves in the store. I had just barely pulled myself up and started towards the door to get the heck out of there when I heard, “oh my gosh are you ok?” Yes, I assured the gentleman working at the store, “I am fine” followed by a smile which was my go to response when I wanted to be swallowed up by the ground out of embarrassment. He persisted, “you don’t look fine,

Hello and welcome, I’m so glad you stopped by! We’ve all experienced difficult seasons in our lives. Seasons when we are living in in the moment, we think, how am I ever going to get through this? It’s unbearable. There is just no way! Then somehow, we get to the other side of that difficult season and look back on it, sometimes in awe that we were able to survive. It boggles the mind. For those of you who are new around here, I live with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy that took 44 years to finally diagnose. I have always been affected and suffered from muscle weakness and difficulty walking since I first started waking, but only have had a name for my disability for about 4 years now. During those 44 years I was consumed, as anyone would be, with finding answers for what caused my weakness and physical difficulties.  Getting to the other side of that search, I have had some time to reflect on that time in my life of limbo and so much uncertainty. At times the pain and frustration o