Mikelle and I feel compelled to write about life with a disability, not just the challenges but the opportunities, the friendships, the innovations, and the brilliance of our communities in action as we share our everyday life living with a disability. With a little more information, motivation, we hope to share how our life is shining beautiful and maybe help you to shine beautiful, too.
When Caregiving Becomes the Nation’s Blind Spot
A Holiday Reflection Inspired by Senator Kim’s First Speech This week, newly elected Senator Andy Kim from New Jersey stepped onto the Senate floor for the first time—and instead of policy talking points, he spoke about the personal and financial cost of caregiving. It landed like truth ringing across a
Growing Older, Growing Bolder: A December Reflection on Aging, Disability & the Gift of Longevity
December rarely slows down—not in our world, anyway. It’s a whirlwind month full of holiday gatherings, year-end planning, medical appointments, winter weather surprises, and the constant hum of everyday caregiving life. During this season, Mikelle and I find our to-do lists grow longer, not shorter, and reflection happens in the
Behind the Care: Families, Employment & the Hidden Cost of Possible Budget Cuts
Every November, when National Family Caregivers Month rolls around, I feel a familiar tug in my heart. It’s a mix of gratitude, exhaustion, pride, and—if I’m honest—a little worry about what lies ahead. Because caregiving isn’t abstract for us.It’s daily. It’s personal.It’s the rhythm of our home. As many of
When Compassion Feels in Short Supply: The Human Cost of a Government Shutdown
Disruption The shelves may look full for now, but beneath the bright grocery store lights lies a quiet unease. The latest government shutdown has done more than disrupt programs and delay paychecks — it has shaken the safety net so many Americans, especially people with disabilities, rely on to make
Mikelle’s Employment Journey—One Bracelet, One Podcast, One Dream at a Time
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)—Mikelle has been working since she was sixteen, and every year we recommit to creating inclusive opportunities for her work to shine. For us at The Shining Beautiful Series, every month feels like NDEAM because employment is woven into the fabric of Mikelle’s
Lessons from September’s Emergency Preparedness Month.
Be Ready September came and went with its quiet reminder: be ready. The world seems to tilt a little more each year—storms stronger, systems shakier, power grids less reliable. So, Mikelle and I decided it was time to do more than talk about preparedness; we became, as she likes to
When the Lights Flicker Out: Government Shutdowns, Disability, and the Unseen Cost on Families.
It is Oct 1, 2025—another government shutdown. In the quiet hours before dawn, when the world still clings to hope, a mother sits on her porch, coffee growing cold, wondering: How will we manage tomorrow? For families like mine — families of disability, of high stakes, of fragile structures held
Stories as Shields: The Art of Advocacy in an Uncertain Time
We live in a season of unsettled skies. The winds from Washington carry whispers of reconsideration—of HB-1 and the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, with its deep cuts to the fragile scaffolding of support that holds up our families and communities. As the Senate and House argue over numbers on a
The Power of Storytelling: Advocating Through the New ColoradoCommunity First Choice Program
Stories. Stories, when told truthfully, have the power to turn bureaucratic walls into open doors. They make the invisible visible. They remind us that behind every policy, form, and acronym, there is a human being trying to live a good life. Last week, I found myself once again telling Mikelle’s
The Art of Living: How Creativity Shapes Mikelle’s World—and Ours.
Where does Art Live? Some people think art hangs quietly on a wall, waiting to be admired. But in Mikelle’s home, art hums in the air—it’s in the soft clinking of beads as she threads a bracelet, in the swirl of color on her iPad screen, in the laughter that
When Stories Open Doors: Families, Resources, and the Lessons of Viki King
The Unexpected Moment It was a late spring day, and the snow was wet and heavy. The kind of storm that makes you want to curl up by the fire with a cup of coffee, listening to the world go quiet under a white blanket—a perfect day to stay home.
Seasons of Change: August Reflections at Shining Beautiful
Transition Time August is a month of transition. The sun still lingers, but the shadows are growing longer. Back-to-school sales pop up in every store, vacations wind down, and we find ourselves asking: What’s next? At the Shining Beautiful household, August is living up to its reputation. Change is in