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The Princess and The Prosthetic

The Girl with The Prosthetic Leg

February 28, 2020 in Uncategorized - 1 Comment

The other day we were at Callie’s ballet studio, and Callie and I were tucked away from some of the kids.  She was tired after a long day at school and was more comfortable leaning up against me while we waited for class to start.  We could hear a few of the girls talking around the corner from us.  They were animatedly talking about who was in their act.

“There’s Sarah and Gia and Samantha and Callie,” said one little girl.

“Who’s Callie?” asked another voice.

“You know, the girl with the prosthetic leg,” she answered.

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I didn’t have to look up.  I already know what the look on Callie’s face would be.  I already know that her shoulders would slump.  I already know that she’d slap a reassuring smile on her face as my eyes met hers.

It’s such a hard place to be.

Yes, she has a prosthetic leg.

Yes, that’s not normal in most of the world.

Yes, that’s something that identifies her quickly.

Yes, that makes her stand out.

Yes, I get that kids use the most literal descriptors that they can.

Yes, that sets her apart from others.

Yes, that makes her unique.

And yes, I want her to embrace the heck out of it.  Rock. That. Leg. Baby. Girl. I want her to be a role model, an advocate, a voice for inclusion.  I want her to feel as if her prosthetic IS her leg and is an extension of herself.  I want her to be so proud and secure in herself that she can confidently OWN that piece of herself.

Because that’s what it is.

A piece.  But only a piece.

Not all of her.

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It’s not the only thing that makes her special or unique.

There’s so many other terms you could use to describe her.

The girl with blue eyes and long blonde hair.

The girl with glasses.

The girl who likes horses and reading.

The girl who gives great hugs.

The girl who has a quiet laugh.

The girl that loves animals.

The girl that just started ballet dancing.

The girl that is strong and brave.  Friendly and kind.

It’s a difficult balance at times.  How do we balance wanting her to be so secure with her differences but not letting her be defined by them?  How do we make sure that she’s comfortable in the skin she’s in but not only valued for the things that set her apart?  How can we make sure that she knows how unique she truly is but also how she is just like everyone else?

I think it’s in teaching her that no one can do Callie better than Callie can.  It’s always having conversations centered around comparison and the pitfalls of it.  It’s reminding her that you can admire someone else’s beauty without questioning your own.  It’s reminding her that flowers are beautiful.  But so are sunsets…and those two are nothing alike. It’s teaching her that self confidence it a super power and one that she should embrace daily. It’s teaching her that the magic, the joy, and the light she sees shining in others is shining in her too.  The world needs HER magic.  It’s something that only she can share.  Some of that magic is based on her hardships but not all of it.  The light that shines through the mosaic that is composed of all of the breaks, battles, and scars she’s endured?  That light?  It’s all hers.  Every last bit of it.  And we’re trying to figure out how to let all of it shine.

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Jaime

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by! My name is Jaime! Wife to my better half, James, who is my moon and all of my stars. We are parents to our little warrior princess, Callie Grace. We started this blog to share our journey as we navigate through our crazy beautiful life. Callie is a lower limb amputee and I am a Type One Diabetic. We are hoping to change the face of beauty one step at a time! We hope by sharing our story, you leave with a little bit more inspiration and hope! Thank you so much for stopping by and joining our tribe!

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1 Comment

  • Judith Dill March 1, 2020 at 12:29 am

    Beautifully written. Beautiful momma and beautiful little girl

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    About Me

    About Me

    Jaime

    Hi Y'all! I’m Jaime, a proud working mama, author, girl boss and wifey to an ultra-adorable husband. I am a huge book nerd, I drink coffee like my life depends on it, and run on dry shampoo and Amazon Prime. Leopard print is my favorite color. I am a story teller at heart and this blog is a virtual scrapbook of our crazy beautiful life. I'm a Type One Diabetic and our little warrior princess Callie is a lower limb amputee. By sharing how we’ve chosen to flourish in the garden we’ve been planted in, we hope you can take some small nuggets of hope, inspiration, and laughter. We are so grateful that you’ve found us—welcome to the fam. We embrace our perfectly imperfect lives and don’t let the doctor’s appointments, spreadsheets, speaking engagements, 10th birthday parties to plan, housework or date nights overwhelm us. Those things are just the beautiful reminders of all the blessings in our lives. Read More

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