Went out to breakfast this morning for his birthday. Here we are, waiting for a table, sitting side by side on a cushion… because there was no wheelchair to get in our way. He WALKED inside! Getting up and down the curb was tricky, but what he lacked in grace, he made up for with style!
I was quite nervous inside the restaurant with the possibility of Nick getting bumped or knocked over. At this point, it wouldn’t take much, so we were extra cautious and alert. It felt good seeing him walk in public. It was a different social experience than him being in a chair. Because he was noticeably struggling to walk, many more people were openly compassionate toward him. They held doors, they purposefully stepped aside to let him by, they said “God bless you,” they nodded with encouragement and spoke to us with empathy. It’s happened before, sure, but Nick was working HARD just to get in and out of the restaurant. His sheer presence this morning commanded respect! I was so proud!
