Finding Meaning in Everyday Difficulties

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter explores how older adults with early-onset motor disabilities use storytelling to make sense of challenges and sustain a sense of agency. Twenty-six participants aged 60–74, living with motor disabilities for at least 20 years, recounted experiences of facing difficulties related to disability. Using a holistic-content narrative analysis, four story types emerged: overcoming challenges, resisting ableism, helping others, and experiencing failure. Across these narratives, individuals portrayed themselves as resilient protagonists, emphasizing autonomy, perseverance, and care. Even stories of failure reflected strength and meaning making, transforming disability into a site of growth and identity formation. Age was represented both as a limitation and as a marker that magnifies personal achievement. Ultimately, narrating the self in the face of disruption allows older adults to reassert control, find coherence, and reaffirm dignity and purpose in later life.</jats:p>