Life Is Change

Dear Cherokee,

Survival in life is based on the ability to adapt to changes. Everything in your life will change. You begin as a very small infant and grow into a toddler. From there you become a child, pre-teen, teenager, adult, and grow into old age. Through out the journey of life you are changing both physically and mentally. You may also change where you live, the clothes you wear, or your friends. If we could not adapt and accept these changes, we would not survive.

Having a disability is another form of adapting to changes in life. At one time I could walk. Then it became painful and very challenging. I adapted to this by using a wheelchair. When I first got my wheelchair, I could walk a little and could be independent with things such as getting in and out of bed or taking a shower. Now I cannot do those things alone and I have adapted by hiring attendants to help me.

Perhaps you can call this "getting used to" my disability. It is my life and it is all I know. I have adapted and accepted these changes because I value living my life with the highest quality. I must find ways to adapt to changes so that I can work, play power soccer, and be with my friends and family.

Even though I have adapted to my disability and my personal situation, there are some days I think about the past. It isn't always comfortable to wait for someone to help me use the toilet. I wish I could have the privacy of using the restroom alone. It's also difficult to sleep in late on weekends because my attendants work on a schedule. I love sleeping, so I miss being able to wake up late on Saturday morning. I can still do these things, just in a different way. I miss the times when I didn't need to rely on others for the little things.