My BabyGirl's Take On Having a Mom with CP

I can remember my mother always walking differently than everyone else from a young age, but it never bothered me. I always understood that I needed to walk a little slower, so I could stay at the same pace with her. I don’t remember asking why she walked differently until I was about in the 3^rd or 4^th grade, but I’m sure she explained cerebral palsy to me before that. 

The thing I remember most though were the kids who made fun of my mother. That wasn’t okay with me in the least bit. I always stood up for my mother. Kids are cruel, but I tried my best to not let them get to me. I let them make fun of me, but once they started on how my mother walked differently, they earned a mouthful from me. My mother actually recently told me how one of my teachers from elementary school saw me stand up for her, and they told her about it. The taunts and cruel words are inevitable, because when people don’t understand something, they make fun of it. The important thing though is not letting it get to you. You know the truth, and that’s what matters the most.

My mother’s cerebral palsy has never affected how I interact with her on an emotional level. I love my mother all the same, no matter what. If someone doesn’t understand that they need to slow down for my mom or that she’s still the same person, it’s not my problem and they aren’t in my life. I make sure that the situation is better for her walking wise, or that I slow down so that she isn’t tripping over herself or anything like. She fusses at me for wanting to help her when there are high curbs or anything of the sort, but it’s only because I care about her. I prefer to help her up there rather than see her trip.

In the end, my mother will always be my mother, no matter what. She’s raised an independent, well-adjusted child who knows how to handle herself and the world before her. If anything, I’ve learned how to be a more understanding person thanks to my mother. I love her, and I dare any one to mock the way she walks. If my mother hadn’t been through what she has been, I wouldn’t be here, and she wouldn’t be the person she is.