30 Days of MD: I’ve Mastered the Skill of Getting Stuff Done

Photo courtesy of Mindy Henderson

Day 26 of 30

This is Mindy Henderson’s (@mindyhendersonspeaks) story:

When my daughter was 12, I went with her to a parent’s night at a community event. We got into small groups and the kids each had to say what they liked best about their parents. There were a variety of answers: “my mom makes great spaghetti” or “my mom lets me play video games for an hour after I get home from school.”

When it was my daughter’s turn, she said “my mom knows how to get stuff done!” Y’all. At that moment, I had to give my inner control freak a pat on the back. My daughter wasn’t wrong! What I think is kind of awesome is that it’s my SMA that fostered the skill in me.

Whoever created me had a great sense of humor because I was born with physical limitations that make me significantly dependent on others for so many things, like dressing, transferring, bathing, cooking, cleaning, feeding our dogs and cat, styling hair and makeup, etc.

On the other hand, I was born with a FIERCELY independent spirit. That makes for a pretty big contradiction in a person, but also sets the stage for me to become one of the most organized and efficient life project managers on the planet.

Because of my disability and my need to live a life of independence, I’ve gotten really good at knowing every teensy step that goes into getting something done. I anticipate when each step will need to get done and how, knowing how each step can be done in tandem with other steps in other tasks, considering mitigation plans and additional steps if someone doesn’t show up or something doesn’t go according to plan — all before my morning coffee.

I am proud to say I manage a life where I am a wife, a mother (to a daughter, two dogs, and a cat), a homeowner, a speaker, and a writer, and I have a full-time job as editor-in-chief of the Quest content for the national MDA — all from a wheelchair! My family never goes hungry, never runs out of clean clothes, the bills are paid, my jobs are done, no one misses a doctor’s (or vet’s) or dentist’s appointment. Take that, SMA! Also, thanks for being the reason I’ve mastered the skill of getting stuff done.

Muscular Dystrophy News’ 30 Days of MD campaign will publish one story per day for MD Awareness Month in September. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this, using the hashtag #30DaysofMD, or read the full series.