One of my favorite books to read to my son is I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont with wonderful illustrations by David Catrow. It was given to us by my Aunt Carol and really celebrates the idea of accepting ourselves for who we are. The exuberance the young girl the book uses to express that, no matter what, she is truly happy to be who she is and there is no one else she’d rather be, transcends into a universality of self-acceptance. I am often asked after performances or presentations if I ever wonder or wish what it would be like to have both my hands. I always tell the… read more →
I saw a story on PBS last week about a young man who was born without his right hand, very similar to me, who is hoping to be the first human to receive a full hand transplant. You can read the story here. I felt for this young man, his insecurity and frustration in having to adapt to do daily tasks was completely recognizable. I began to think, what if this surgery wasn’t difficult? What if it was a little out patient shindig with little to no complications? Would I want it? Would my 12-year-old-middle-school self want it? I don’t want it and I would tell my 12-year-old self he… read more →