Life On Wheels

It is hard to know what life would be like if you had special needs. Having a sister with Down Syndrome has exposed to me to world of sensitivity and understanding. Since Laura was born (I was 9 years old) my life has been closely interwoven with those with needs more special than my own. Through her schooling, we were able to meet wonderful children, many who were born with life altering conditions or disabilities. Sure, some of these kids were born with many challenges, but the one thing they didn't lack was the ability to smile. This is what always hurt my heart. Here were these children, many unaware of their own shortcomings- yet despite it all, they were always smiling. Being sensitive to those less fortunate made it hard for me to see people who were full functioning look at life so sourly. So many people get stressed out about trivial things- taking for granted the basic ability to exist without physical assistance or not having to continually tackle mental challenges. I know that it is hard for people (including myself) to remain grounded with how fortunate we are, but being around those with special needs quickly reminds you that whatever is stressing you out- probably isn't that big of a deal.

All of this rang true again, when the doctors finally talked to us about taking Michael home from the hospital. I was so relieved! I had planned his homecoming and his first few months in my mind and was ready to get rid of hospitals and the stress that came with it. Then my plans were dramatically altered when a nurse came over to me and told me that 'Special Services' would be contacting me shortly to arrange Michael's at-home therapy sessions. Therapy? No one told me about therapy! Unbeknownst to me, we had a long road of recovery ahead. After Michael came home, a barrage of therapists followed. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists followed him each week for almost 3 years. Ironically, I found myself in the same place as I did when Laura was born, surrounded by children with special needs- one of them, my son. Although Michael's condition thankfully turned out to be temporary and correctable, there were many scary months where we weren't sure of Michael's ability to reach the therapist's long term goals. But as God brought him to safety when he was a tiny tiny baby, he again embraced him and guided Michael down the path to being a fully recovered three year old boy.

I happen to consider myself someone who is very aware of the people around me. I have been exposed to many things that have helped me to become extra sensitive to those in need and my heart goes out to those who have such a difficult road to journey down. So, you can imagine when I started using my wheelchair during this pregnancy (at about 20 weeks), I expected people to show a certain sensitivity to me. A lot of people were really nice and held open doors so I could wheel through them. However, I have been surprised at the lack of sensitivity by so many others who are just not aware of their surroundings. People see me wheeling toward them and have to make a choice to either move or make me wheel out of the way. More times than not, I have had to move. When I was shopping with my Mom at Macy's, the cashier actually had the nerve to say, "What is Wrong with You?" I wish that I had a good comeback, but I was actually so surprised she asked me that question that I was speechless. I guess my point is that during this temporary time of being physically challenged, my eyes have opened much wider to those who live life from their wheelchair each and every day. Just a few of the downsides are that many store aisles are so narrow that you can barely fit through them without knocking things off the shelf, it is also really difficult to see and use the debit machine when paying at a store, forget about grabbing things on high shelves, and it is really inconvenient when stores or sidewalks don't have adequate wheelchair ramps.

I have learned so much during this pregnancy, but as I near the end and become a little more introspective, I hope to use the many additional lessons I learned in my wheelchair to further enhance my sensitivity to those around me. There have been days of my life where I have been a successful and active college athlete and other days where my activity has been reduced to laying in a bed 24/7. I think the most difficult part of life is taking the greater amount of all of your experiences and finding the one common thread that has gotten you through them all. I know that my thread of hope has been deeply rooted in my faith in God and the trust I have in Him that everything will be alright in the end. My hope for people is that we can all respect the limitations of those around us and remember to be loving, helpful, and perspective people in society. Actions speak louder than words. So the next time you are out and about and see someone who could use some help, do so. Hopefully your good deed will start a chain reaction in the hearts of those around you.