DiscoverThe Special Needs Mom PodcastBalancing Identities: Mother, Professional, Advocate, Woman with Cynthia Schultz
Balancing Identities: Mother, Professional, Advocate, Woman with Cynthia Schultz

Balancing Identities: Mother, Professional, Advocate, Woman with Cynthia Schultz

Update: 2025-10-22
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This week, I got to sit down with the wise and feisty Cynthia Schultz, author of Shine On: Raising Our Children with Disabilities to Lead Bright, Happy Lives. Cynthia’s daughter is now 40, and hearing from a mom who’s decades down the road was such a gift.

We talked about what it was like when she first received her daughter’s diagnosis, by mail, in the most abrupt and heartbreaking way, and how she decided early on that this would not ruin her life. Cynthia shared her “play to win” philosophy and how that mindset shaped everything from advocacy to joy to building a full, meaningful life for her daughter and family.

We also got into self-care, identity, and the evolution that happens over time. Cynthia reminded me that while this life is a marathon, it’s one fueled by a mother’s love and that we can do hard things.

This one left me encouraged, grounded, and full of hope for what’s possible, both for our kids and for us.


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Balancing Identities: Mother, Professional, Advocate, Woman with Cynthia Schultz

Balancing Identities: Mother, Professional, Advocate, Woman with Cynthia Schultz

Kara Ryska