Colorblind: A Mother's Love

My mother is my superhero. She had my sister and I at an early age, and she then made several sacrifices to ensure our excellent upbringing. I am indebted to her, to a great degree, for what she has done to support the success of my sister and me. Further, my mother weathered a great storm when signs of my psychiatric disabilities began to manifest. Aja Underdown's courage and patience has helped to keep me alive and empowered, through all the ups and downs of anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD. 


It has not been an easy journey for us, but I am blessed beyond measure to have her as my mother. She continues to stress the importance of a supportive circle, making navigating my disabilities a team effort. As such, I am never alone in my fight. I share our conversation, because it is paramount that discussions on disability involve all invested parties. 

The fact that I can count on a dependable circle of friends and family to support me helps me tackle changes in medication, manifestations of symptoms, moral injury, re-visitation of trauma, stigma and negative bias, and more. Her strength pushes me to be a better self-advocate and leader in the fight for inclusive disability advocacy, and I start each day with a goal of making her proud. 

To echo her sentiments in our chat: Parents, please take the time to listen to your child's needs and solicit their input on their growth and identity formation - especially parents of black children. Now, more than ever, we are seeing the sometimes fatal consequence of playing off indicators of psychiatric disabilities. Further, join the fight to advocate against stigmas and punitive repercussions for manifestations of psychiatric disabilities. Instead of viewing the disability from a lens of shame and regret, ask yourself what more you can do to find educational resources, expert support and consultation, and empowering connections for growth and solidarity. 



My illnesses may be "invisible," but the fact that she sees me lets me know that I am never transparent.

Thank you, Mom.

Music Credit: Archie Smith