On Sunny Frocks And Truth In Light

If you read my last post you know it's Disability Awareness Month and it would seem that a few folks have lavished a bit of their kind attentions on me.  

The wonderfully talented team at Karina Dresses are featuring me as a Frockstar on their blog.  If you don't know about Karina they are a Brooklyn based company that creates beautiful dresses to flatter women of all ages, shapes, and sizes. I'm thrilled beyond words that they chose to share my thoughts about fashion and disability on their blog.

As if this weren't enough to put a smile on my face the beautiful Emily Ladau of  Words I Wheel By nominated me for a Sunshine Award. It's a way to acknowledge a fellow blogger's impact and influence, and it comes at a serendipitous time. There are days when I wonder if what I'm doing has any impact at all. I've been having a few of those days lately and it would seem I have my answer. I will address the award quite soon in a post of it's own.

And so the sun shines today, bringing light and warmth. But sometimes it's light reaches the dark corners of long-kept secrets and brings with it the liberation of truth.

So it is for my friend Charlotte whose blog is Sublime Mercies. I've known her for almost a year now, and her blog is about "finding small beauties in a big, bad world".  For a long time all I knew about her disability was that her back had been injured and was now a constant source of often debilitating pain. I will confess that I sometimes found her writing erratic and hyperbolic. There was something missing; something withheld. It made no sense.

Now I know that instead of hyperbole there was understatement. Charlotte is letting the sun shine on the truth. Unlike myself who was born disabled, or others who find themselves so after an accident,  her disability was inflicted upon her. As a child she endured physical and sexual abuse from the very people that were supposed to protect, nurture and raise her; her family. It is as a result of this that she is now permanently disabled. The unconscionable acts of brutal adults on a powerless child have left an indelible mark.

I hope that you will read her post and show her your support. The light of her truth can now become a beacon for others who have suffered and perhaps even an intercession to prevent further damage. It's clear, at least to me, that this above all is what she needs to keep writing about. 

In my interview for Karina I confessed that one of my favorite quotes is, "Do the things you are most afraid of". Courage is often it's own reward, but it's also a great way to rally support if you need it.

Be brave; and reward others who lead by example by standing up for what's right. 

Linking up with Katy Rose of Modly Chic for the Verizon Voices Fashionista Style Hop