perhaps one of the reasons why

After about 4 weeks, the full body cast had finally come off and my atrophied legs didn’t quite feel like my own. They were these strange limbs that were attached to my hips, but sure didn’t feel like much. They looked small and felt weak. But, they were mine. And they were healing. My 2 roken legs were now unbroken. I remained having to use a wheelchair until I could walk again. The bigger people in my family would sometimes carry me from car to house or room to room, but I was itching to use my own power to ambulate and feel my own 2 feet on the ground. One early evening, I was in the living room while grandma was in the kitchen cooking, cleaning. I don’t recall anyone else being in the house at the time. I was wearing my pajamas; blue and pink stripped bottom pajama pants  (perhaps this was the beginning of my sense of style!) and sitting in an oversized chair. I have no recollection as to what my thoughts or feelings were at that exact moment, I just remember what I did.

I got up. I rose.

I got my balance by holding on to something on both sides of me.

I took a step. And then another one. I was walking.

“Grandma!” I yelled. “I’m doing it. I’m walking.”