Today, I still need my scooter and wheelchair to get around. But something inside me has changed. I have a sense of freedom that is in some ways more powerful and sustainable than what I felt when I could walk and dance and run and play.

This was the reality of the situation. This was the truth of the here and now. I couldn't be with him out there on the dance floor, so I had to reframe the situation and enjoy the experience in a completely different way.

Grace is always extended, something that becomes clearer each time I remind myself that healing is an ongoing process and never a final destination.

As a person with illness and in a wheelchair for many years, I am so frequently on the receiving end of other people's attention that I often forget there are many ways I can give.