There’s a fine line to cross when it comes to identifying who you are as someone with a disability and not feeling as if your disability is entirely who you are.

I read a journal prompt for those with chronic illness that said the following: What parts of my identity remain completely true despite my illness?

A lot of who we are and what we want to be isn’t impacted by our disabilities, but then again, everything is impacted having a disability.

Having this ongoing and back and forth conversation with yourself about identifying as disabled or not disabled, can be challenging. It makes acceptance a harder topic to tackle.

When you are chronically ill, but haven’t always been, or haven’t always had your illness severely impact your life, it is difficult to adjust to a new normal. I am sure even those who have always had certain ailments find their situation to also be difficult.

For myself, I work to embrace that being disabled is a part of who I am, but in addition to being disabled I am so much more than what happens to me.

I know that my life is consumed by doctor’s appointments, home visits with nurses or other agencies, communicating with insurance or the pharmacy. It can be exhausting and draining.

I try really hard to dedicate time to the hobbies and activities that remind me of the other aspects that make up who I am as a whole.

I remind myself that I am a good partner, a caring Auntie, a supportive friend, and so much more.

I am a creative person who enjoys art and exploring different mediums like photography, watercolors, pastels, and graphic arts.

I enjoy moving my body in ways that I am capable, knowing that every day is a different practice. Yoga has become a new found hobby of mine that really relaxes my brain and body.

I am a writer. I express myself through writing whether it is personal and private or otherwise shown off to the public.

Exploring is a part of who I am. I am an explorer. I find adventure within life’s biggest and smallest moments. I often lead my life wondering “what will I do for fun today” and approach life looking for things to do, unwinding in new places, and pushing myself to get outside the box that I often feel stuck in.

When thinking about “What parts of my identity remain completely true despite my illness,” I find that so much of what makes me who I am isn’t defined by the symptoms I feel.

Being disabled gives me strength to better understand people. It builds a sense of empathy within me that I wouldn’t have understood if it wasn’t for my health challenges.

I truly am exactly the same person, but with an added layer of compassion and sometimes pathways that test my physical and mental health.

I think if I have done one thing well in life it has been to truly focus on distractions otherwise known as avenues that help me to cope so I don’t feel the sense that I’ve lost myself. Some days, like today, I feel more in control of knowing who I am. Disabled or not, identifying who we are and feeling confident in it, ebbs and flows.