From Where I Sit: What Would You Give Up?

Do you have something that you want so badly that you would be will to give up almost anything for? Recently I was left a very intriguing question regarding what I would give up in order to be able to walk.  

Here is the original question:

"What would you give up to have the ability to walk? I asked a friend what would he have given up if he had the chance to go pro. He said his wife, his kids and the life he knows now. That's how bad he wanted to play pro ball."

I will admit that my first reaction to this was absolute shock. I could not imagine giving up my hubby, my loved ones, my world for anything. After I let that initial response settle in, I began to think long and hard about my response.

Do you want to know the one and only thing I would give up for the ability to walk? My wheelchair :)

Of course I would love the ability to walk. To be able to go through my day without having to depend on a single person to help me with the tasks I can physically not do on my own would be a dream come true. I would love that, and in jest I would say I would give anything to be able to have that life, but in reality I would give up nothing I cherish for that to be.

For me, this life has been all I have ever known, and I have to say, disability and all, I have lived quite a blessed life at that. I have often said I would have loved to be able to be a gymnast or to ice skate or to be a dancer if I could walk. There is a laundry list of things I would LOVE to be able to do, but I am not willing to give up what I have to attain those things.

I was having a conversation with a good friend this past weekend regarding this question and I told him that if my life had been different and I was able to walk I KNOW I would not be the person I am today. My life has been full of overcoming obstacles, stereotypes and working hard to attain my goals. If I never went through those things, I'm not saying I would be a bad person, but I do know I would be different.

This actually has been one of my favorite questions asked to me because it just reassured me that I am happy with who I am. I will continue to work at being able to be more physically independent, and if and when the day ever comes that I don't need the help that I currently do, I will be able to embrace my new found independence with all of those people and things that I didn't give up to get there.