“Since having my daughter and being around other kids a lot more often, I’ve been reminded of the relentless questions kids can have about my body. ‘What happened to your leg? Why do you look like that? Is it gross under there?’

“And these days, more than ever I overhear how parents handle questions about me: ‘What happened to her? Why is her leg like that?’

“Some parents get it right, but many of them don’t, and an alarming number of them suggest their kids come up and ask me. I don’t want to be rude to kids, but I do want them to learn it’s rude to ask strangers about their bodies. And, I want very much for kids to be exposed to disability long before they see me at the playground. Don’t let me be the first!”

Christa Couture – Instagram, 2021

Christa Couture is a Canadian Cree broadcaster, singer, songwriter and author. Since her memoir, How to Lose Everything was published, she’s created a series of short films with the same name, exploring Indigenous personal stories of loss. Find her on Instagram, and at her website.

Read the Instagram post her quote came from here, or embedded below.