Deanna, the Painting Saint...

     My Mom is a very, very talented artist. She can draw, she can paint, she can craft and do many creative things.  Although I share my mother's joy of creativity, due to my Cerebral Palsy, I have extreme fine motor problems which means that I may have damaged technical genes to be able to paint and draw and anything fine tuned.  I have very creative ideas in my head, but have difficulty getting them on paper or craft items. On June 22nd, I wheeled into Deanna's pottery shop called, South Shore Pottery, in Abington, Mass. She,. from minute one, was a supporter of my cause, donated the pottery to paint the minute she heard what my cause was and graciously explained to me that despite my disability, there are plenty of tricks and small tweaks we could do to make my pottery look like a million dollar work of art.  Deanna was so patient with me. She is perhaps one of the sweetest, loving, and caring shop owners that I have ever come across on my journey. She made me feel as though on that day, my disability disappeared. I always wanted to be like my mom because she is my role model and for that day, I felt like I was carrying on my mother's name. I was doing just as good of a job as she was.  Deanna changed my life in the fact that I will never again doubt the ability and power of adaptation. My plate that I made there is so important to me because it incorporates my Ms. Wheelchair Mass. journey, as well as my Cerebral Palsy awareness.  Sometimes in life, there are people that you are slated to meet for a reason, Deanna is that person for me because, as independent as I thought I was, I was given the gift of knowing that I could carry on a family legacy of art that day.  Deanna mentioned to me that this might be a good fundraising item, but  I would never part with it because it is a part of me that I never thought I could accomplish. I am eternally grateful to Deanna forever. If there was a such thing as Ms. Pottery Massachusetts, she would absolutely take the crown, but for now she must settle with my never ending gratitude and my hopes that many more people with physical disabilities would cross her path, so that she can give them the same gift, as she is so talented at bringing out the best in people. Until next time, Advocate, Educate, and Empower.