I just discovered a quote that appeared in an article by Liz Thompson, who writes a column for The Gahanna News. She was talking about living with MS. She said that it was true that her physical abilities have changed since the onset of MS, but she is still able to enjoy many of the things she did before, including playing with her grandchildren and dancing with her husband. The message was that in spite of some limitations, MS was not going to rule her life. But here are the words that stood up and shouted to me. She said her disability, and I don’t know if this was original or not, “is only part of who I am, not the definition of my life.” Wow. How true this is for me.

Blindness is only part of who I am, not the definition of my life. I should use it as part of my signature on my email messages. I should get a T-shirt with those words written in puff paint. I should make a plaque and post it on my fridge. I should print it on letterhead and make business cards with those words in braille. Blindness is only part of who I am, not the definition of my life. Now, if only the rest of the world would get it.