A Helping Hand


Can you imagine being the only person in a graduation ceremony not wearing a cap and gown? You probably would feel like you stood out like a sore thumb in a sea of black. The person sitting next to me at graduation was that girl and she is one of my best friends. Becca drove six hours to celebrate my graduation and hold my arm during the diploma ceremony, so I could go on stage with the confidence that I would not fall. When I asked her to help me walk at graduation she was so happy to be a part of my special moment.


During my senior year of college, I was falling a lot but had not gotten the walker yet. Therefore, I needed to hold somebody's arm when walking outside at night. I would often ask my friend and roommate Leath if I could hold her arm while I walked and she gladly helped me.

Finally, when my friend Arielle and I were in Las Vegas celebrating our 21st birthdays together, I walked so much on the first day that by the last day I needed a wheelchair. It was very difficult to give in to riding in a wheelchair but Arielle made me feel so much better about it by acting like it was really no big deal and pushing me everywhere we went.

One thing that all of my friends have in common is that they don’t treat me different than any other friend without a disability. This is so important because I never want anyone to treat me differently because I have a disability.

They also have taught me that it is okay to ask for help. They help me physically but I return the favor by helping them in other ways.

On the first day of college, I learned the hard way that asking for help is necessary when you are in a situation that you cannot navigate independently. I was walking on campus to go to my first college class when I approached a staircase without a railing. There were lots of students around that I could have asked for help but instead I decided to walk up the stairs without assistance and ended up falling. I wasn’t hurt but from that point I decided I would self-advocate and ask for help when I needed it.

The worst thing that somebody can say to you when you ask for help is "no", so why not take the chance of rejection to receive the help you need?

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