Heartbreak after SCI: The Hard Truth with a Dose of Hope
A small, three by five inch journal sits in a drawer with other sentimental objects from my past. Blue fabric printed with small white sheep decorate its outside. On the inside cover is written: Jenny Smith Given by Barbara for B-day ’89 16 yrs. old It is an unfinished journal.
A Model of Living Resiliently in the Midst of Suffering
For about a year I’ve been digging in to the subject of resiliency. In some ways I think I’m an expert on the subject. At other times I don’t feel resilient in any form or fashion. So what is resiliency? A simple definition is it’s the ability to bounce back
What ‘The Greatest Showman’ Can Teach Us About Accepting Ourselves
Have you seen the movie The Greatest Showman? It’s the fictional story of Phineas T. Barnum. However, the stars of the show – and the ones with whom I resonate – are Lettie (the bearded woman), Anne (trapeze artist), Charles (the little person General Tom Thumb) and the other performers
How my Spinal Cord Injury Affected my Best Friend
What follows is the story of how a spinal cord injury affects relationships. How was best friend, Barbara, impacted by my injury?
The Uncomfortable Truth about Sexuality and Disability
In January I attended a conference for work. After dinner we were chatting and getting to know each other as we made our way back to the conference room. All the classic questions were asked: Where do you live? What organization are you with? What is your role? And then
How to Intentionally Build Community
Many people with SCI have experienced loss of relationships after their injury. Friends, family, teammates, spouses. Why do these relationships end? That’s an article for another day. But loneliness on top of the losses of independence and identity can be suffocating. Relationships, healthy ones, are life-giving and rejuvenating. A hearty
How and Why I Got a Professional Massage
I needed a professional massage, but I wasn’t sure how it would work with a spinal cord injury. It had been 10 long months since I’d had an occupational therapy session. And I was feeling the repercussions of it. Finally, I bit the bullet and purchased two sessions with a
When I Need to Count Every Blessing
During the seemingly never-ending string of surgeries and recovery time this year, my mind would wander to that all familiar question of doubt: Why me?
Suffering Well
Suffering. It’s a word with many faces. Poverty. Illness. War. Financial hardship. Death. According to the book of Job, God allows suffering. Job is described as a man who was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). But God suggested that Satan rob Job of his
4 Tips to Living a Full and Abundant Life
After my spinal cord injury, it took me quite some time to learn, or re-learn, the concept of trying, of living. My go-to response was, “I can’t.” Over the years, I’ve learned to live a full life. After all, what’s the use in being alive if we aren’t fully living?
Jenny Smith
After a spinal cord injury at 16, I discovered that a wheelchair could take me places I never dared to imagined.
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