Women and disability

Here’s another favorite scene from my second favorite movie of all time, and I’m not recommending you all watch it because there are issues in the film I don’t agree with (like the one where Julia Robert’s character slept with Hugh Grant and he isn’t her husband) but some parts just struck me right through the heart like this particular one.

In this scene, the one with the saddest story gets the last cookie. Bella tells her tragic accident where she injured her spine and became paralyzed and is now stuck in a chair for life, and then announces she and Max (her husband and Grant’s best friend) can never have babies.

Being a woman is not easy. There’s motherhood and society expects you to be pretty and stay young (Oh if only we could). But imagine if you’re not only female, you’re also disabled (no matter what your handicap is) and you’re not able to fulfill what’s expected from you. It’s very frustrating; more often than not you’re labeled “not good enough”, as if living with a disability and struggling to overcome it everyday isn’t difficult and painful enough. BUT you can’t dwell on that, it’s one reality you have to face and rise over. One should not have any other choice than that.

So, why have I been talking and posting about a movie with a handicap woman on it for sometime now on this blog? It’s because this July 24, BloggersUnite  is asking blog writers to participate in raising awareness in empowering people with disabilities (I’ll post more on this as the date approaches). They’ve (and BlogCatalog) started the campaign as early as May and this is my way of supporting the move.

Participation is easy. Just get involved in a community group or organization that empowers people with disabilities and write about it or write about a disabled person you’re living with on July 24, 2010. I’ll post about this again and hope that we get your support and participation.

"Jesus Christ loves you and died for you."