How many times have you heard a television personality on a telethon or even your own doctor tell you the unexpected could happen to you? You hear it all the time as non-profit organizations try to raise money.
Cancer can strike anyone at any time. Diabetes, stroke, heart disease, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy, the list goes on and on. It does not matter who you are, how much money you have, how old you are, or where you are from. Any of these ailments could strike you or a loved one and change your life in an instant.
One day you could wake up and have some sort of life limitation. For all intents and purposes, you could wake up tomorrow, get in a car accident, and become a paraplegic or quadriplegic. The truth is we do not know what the future holds because we do not have a crystal ball that we can peer into on a regular basis. We do not have the answers to such mysteries of life, and I doubt we ever will.
In a single second, your life, as you know it could change… for better or for worse.
However, on the flip side, what would it be like if a person with an ailment or disability woke up tomorrow 100% healthy?
In considering how drastically different life becomes and how many simple things able-bodied individuals take for granted, I am going to pretend that I have awakened perfectly capable of every physical feat the average, able-bodied individual has the ability to perform on a daily basis. I’m not pretending to be a body builder, just your average, everyday Joe.
As I wake, I sit up in bed unassisted. No longer do I need the Hoyer lift and Ashtyn’s tugging and pushing hands and arms to get my body into that sitting position. I just throw back the covers and I’m up!
As I am sitting there, my Shih-Tzu, Oliver, comes up to say good morning. However, this time I can lift him up and actually hold the squirming ball of fur. He doesn’t have to sprawl out next to me just so I can pet him since he’s a bit too bulky for me to lift up usually.
Article comments
1 - peter
I liked the article and shared it with some students who cannot be bothered participating in simple physical activity.
I hope they don't take things for granted.