Stares, Questions and my Lesson of the day

Laura's right leg is short, she's in a cast and she uses a walker to get around.  Yes, we get noticed wherever we go. Most people are very friendly to us, say hello and are great about opening doors for us. Sometimes though, we get stares and sometimes we get questions, simple questions and sometimes
 downright annoying and even rude questions. Anyone with a physical disability has faced all of these challenges.

Before Laura's surgery, she walked by using her left knee and the tippy top of her smaller right foot. Boy would we get some stares then! I always felt like people were thinking, why is she so short or why are they letting her walk that way? Now that she uses a walker the stares seem more sympathetic. Older people are especially apt to smile and talk with her now.

I have taught Laura to say, "Jesus loves you!" to anyone who smiles within ear shot or gets down close to talk to her. Our reactions to this, range from a smile to a short conversation. Today we met a couple in the elevator at the Courthouse and I think we made their day. The man was about my age and was in a wheelchair. I got the impression he may have been wounded while serving in the military. Laura told him "Jesus loves you!" and he said, "Yes, he does and he loves you too little one." It was so sweet to see him and his wife smile and say how sweet Laura was.

We also had an awesome experience on Sunday when Larissa, Laura and I went to deliver a flower arrangement at the local Assisted Living Home. I let Laura hand out flowers to the rest of the residents on both floors and we had such a wonderful time putting smiles on many faces. Nothing cuter or funnier then a little girl running her walker up to a little old Lady, also in a walker and handing her a flower. You should have seen how surprised these Ladies and Gentlemen were.

Now for my lesson of the day. I mentioned getting stares and some rude questions. Over time I am learning how to deal with stares and questions. Some days I do better than others. Today's lesson started about 6 weeks ago. I was out grocery shopping and ended up with what I'll call a "Rude bagger Lady" On that day, the bagger walked with me to my car and placed the groceries in my SUV while I pushed Laura in her stroller. The bagger asked me three times, "What's wrong with her leg?" I ignored the bagger and said nothing as I put Laura in her car seat thinking the whole time how rude she was and that there is nothing "wrong" with Laura just something different and it was none of her business etc....don't feel like talking to you in the parking lot!

So today guess what? I get that same bagger again! I didn't even realize it until we were walking out and I'm thinking, great, don't feel like this today. So I open up the back of my trunk which is parked in a handicap spot this time and there is Laura's walker. So I take a deep breath waiting for questions. This time she asked me if my daughter had a disability. So I answer real quick and positive with, "Well she's in a cast right now and  she'll be fitted for a prosthetic and will be walking soon." Before I even got to prepare myself for question number two the Lady proceeds to tell me how she had cancer as a child and how her parents took such good care of her, and although she now has some physical challenges she is doing well. She went on to tell me more and talked about how much her Dad has done for her and taught her ways to overcome her challenges etc.

Wow, so I learned something today. I learned that sometimes things aren't as they seem and I can learn from a situation like this to not prejudge someone's questions. 

6 more days until her cast comes off!