Off to town Theo and I went… and as usual, the wheelchair parking was… occupied.
Not by people who need it. No! By people with two perfectly working legs who apparently just needed the VIP treatment.
Theo’s solution?
“Park right in front of them.”
My solution?
“Let’s not get our only remaining car crashed today, thanks.”
So we waited… In the sun… For what felt like a full-length movie.
Here’s the thing people don’t always realise. It’s not about laziness. I will push a wheelchair 1km to a door if I have to. But when we come back and cars are parked too close? There’s no way to safely get Theo in without risking scratching your car or hurting him. Trust me, I’ve tried this. Took a parking on the other side of the mall… just to find a car parked right next to us when we returned and we were standing in the middle of no where. It’s a puzzle we didn’t sign up for.
And don’t even get me started on supermarket aisles…
You + trolley + full aisle = obstacle course level EXPERT!
BUT…
Today had a silver lining.
In the supermarket we spotted another “leftie” amputee (below the knee). Now I’m convinced, motorcyclist-amputees just sniff each other out!
He watched us for a while (honestly, fair… I was pushing a wheelchair, carrying a basket, and balancing another one on Theo’s good leg like some kind of circus act ). We’re still figuring this whole “how to shop without the kids, only one person with 2 legs and 2 arms that also need to push a wheelchair” thing out!
But just before we left, he came over.
And wow.
Questions. Encouragement. Real understanding. The kind you can’t fake.
And then he said something that stayed with us:
“I can see in your eyes… you’re going to be okay.”
That moment?
It changed the whole day.
So yes — people can be inconsiderate.
Yes — it’s hard.
Yes — we’re still learning.
But sometimes, the right person is placed in your path at exactly the right time… just to remind you that you are going to be okay.
And we didn’t stop there, we came home and exercised.
Because today wasn’t just about getting through the day… it was about moving forward, one small step (or push) at a time.
Teresa
