In the later stages of my pregnancy with Starfish I began to worry. Not just about the heavy weight of responsibility that hung in the air as with all first time parents but more specifically, how would he feel growing up with a Wheelie Momma? Would he be embarrassed of me? Would he get picked on or excluded from things because of me? I began to consciously consider how best to introduce the concepts of disability and diversity to him from the outset. I combed the Internet for a book that would help me explain in a way he could understand without becoming overwhelmed or having to mature too fast. Just like when I was looking for equipment; I couldn’t find a book that came close to illustrating our family dynamic or conveying the message I wanted to impart.
It soon became clear that the only way I was going to see our story in print was to write it myself, and so I dusted off my cape and My Mum is a Superhero was born.
The idea behind the book is very simple and yet, as I read over it myself I see the beauty and the power in its simplicity. For much of my life and until the last few years, I was locked in a cycle of pain and frustration. Now I see the strength in my body and mind and the absolute gifts it has bestowed upon me. Not least my gorgeous babies. What changed had nothing to do with my physical body and everything to do with my mind and the beliefs I was holding. I softened my beliefs and in some cases completely dropped and replaced those that were literally disabling me for more empowering ones and I now see my true super powers.
With the book My Mum is a Superhero I want my own kids and others worldwide to look at people with physical challenges or differences and celebrate rather than pity or avoid them. Furthermore this book is an invitation to parents and children with any physical disability to see beyond any perceived barriers to their own potential and in doing so create the life they dream of.
Each and every one of us have a Superhero within. This book invitation for them to come out and party!