Armed with agreed-upon definitions, we set out to answer our first question at the conference: why is it important for people with chronic disabilities to nurture their spiritual health? We asked Tammy (personal communication, February 28, 2005), who was sitting in her wheelchair in the front row next to us. Radiantly, she responded, "I believe it is important for everyone to tend to his or her spiritual health but for those of us who have disabilities, our spirit should be our top priority. Just as a cold is our body's way of telling us we need rest and reprieve, our disability is a sign to take care of our inner self. If our physical activities are put on hold, or shut down completely, isn't that nature's way of saying, 'Now you can focus solely on your spiritual life?' Instead of feeling sad about our physical loss, we can say, 'this is a gift. I can use this time or this life to learn about myself and why I am truly here.' When we ask, 'What can I learn from this?' We can find things like our other senses heightened. Is becoming increasingly intuitive and sensitive to others not a wonderful gift?" Later, by e-mail, polio survivor Dorothy elaborated, "With spirituality, we realize we are so much more than a body, and more than a mind. We become aware of possibilities and open to changes. We look beyond our limited selves to our interconnectedness with all living things, believing in a transcendent dimension or being."

Others have said that spiritual transcendence can help us face disability "with a clearer perspective, rising above the limits and pain initially imposed by the disability." Cultivating the rich dimensions of our spirituality can provide new meaning and purpose for life (Zhang, 2004). For some of us, it has the power to change the mosaic and can make it glow in our hands! For me, my spirituality and my religion are great equalizers. At church, we are more than our physical bodies; we have a spirit to share and we share the Holy Spirit. I need that social connection and that spirit connection to get through everyday life. I also need to be inspired on a regular basis, so I read spiritual books and seek spiritually based friendships. My physical, emotional, and intellectual sides need to be cared for and my spiritual dimension often leads the way.