By Mark E. Smith
It’s official: Zach Anner and I – the two most eligible men with cerebral palsy in America – are in love.
Now, when I say that Zach and I have been the two most eligible men with cerebral palsy in America, what I really mean is, we couldn’t get dates if our lives depended on it. And, while we were tempted to date each other out of pure complacency, it turned out that waiting for the two most beautiful women in the world to sweep us off of our feet (which, let’s be honest, isn’t hard to do when we’re not on our feet to begin with), turned out to be a better idea. I should clarify that we weren’t both waiting for the two most beautiful women each, which would equal four women in total and would be really weird and a TLC reality show, but one amazing woman each. And, we scored!
In an uncanny twist, about 10 months ago, Zach and I started falling in love – with two separate women, not each other! – in Southern California. And, amazing women they were (they, of course, still are amazing, even more so, but I’m trying to keep my tense straight). Zach’s beloved Gillian is an internationally-known singer-song writer, and my beloved Holly is an artist. Both women are creative, witty, caring souls, who’s personalities truly radiate at a tangible level. Their depths of character range from funny to empathetic to being up for all that life has to offer. So, how did Zach and I ultimately get so blessed with such amazing women?
Cerebral Palsy. Fellas, trust me on this one. Forget the cheesy pick-up lines, fancy cars and medical degrees. All you need to attract a woman is cerebral palsy. Even if you don’t have cerebral palsy, say that you do. You can have a Ferrari and medical degree, but unless you tack cerebral palsy on the end, you don’t have a chance. Why? Because every woman knows cerebral palsy is where it’s at.
Of course, cerebral palsy has nothing to do with Zach and my finding love. The truth be told, we know the real secret to our finding the two most amazing women in the world: We’re just ourselves. What makes Zach and me who we are is just that – we’re happy as we are, cerebral palsy, poor posture, twisted senses of humor and all. And, with self-acceptance comes a confidence and comfort, where we have the ability to laugh and love and embrace life with an enthusiasm that’s contagious. We’re easy to love, but we equally love easily, where we know that vulnerability is a strength, empathy is a gift, and a true lover is also a best friend.
If you want to be loved for you… well… just be you.
PowerchairDiaries 
I very much look forward to meeting you Mark! I absolutely adore Holly & Annie so it’s pretty much a sure thing that I’ll adore you as well. Excellent post. Thank you for sharing!!!
Mark, I am so very happy to hear about your great news. Nothing beats having a soulmate sharing your life and will be at your side no matter what.
I am blessed to have been married for 45 years to my darling Bill, who takes his vows of “in sickness and in health” seriously. Due to my my progression of a rare muscle wasting disease, I have now, after 25 years, reached the stage of needing help with every transfer, toileting, personal hygiene etc. A humbling experience as you can probably guess and yet he is my daily sunshine that helps me to still want to keep going and make the most of each day. I wish you both the best of everything that life has to offer.