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Fairy Tales

What do London Bridge, Humpty Dumpty, The Three Little Pigs and Kathleen Piggins have in common?

 They all fall down! 

 Well with the Three Little Pigs it's not the pigs that fall but the house but I have three not-so-little Piggins and it just seemed appropos to include that fairy tale here!

 Because this is a tale about falling down. But it's also about getting back up!

 At last night's Douglas Social  my friend Kris and I meandered through the crowd greeting and often hugging friends along the way to the beer/wine tent - I spotted a friend that recently moved to the area and went to give her a big hug. and after proceeded to fall flat on my arse. Time seemed to stop and it felt that the all eyes in the crowd were on me as I landed and then proceeded to get back up with the help of friends. One of the saddest part of the fall, was that I had just gotten my first glass of wine and it was now all over me.  I thought "Thank goodness I was drinking white". And then, "I hope they don't think I was drunk!' - pride looks especially sad when you're on your ass.

 The saddest part, however, was my long-lost-friend thought she had something to do with the fall. Sorry, Sue, but I kind of wish that were true!

 For the record, I fall a lot. It's the reality for me with my MS right now. I know 'how to fall' so that I rise uninjured but I am taking chances, I know. The prescribed wheelchair that sits in the back of my van, has only been used once in four months. I even thought about using it last night but I didn't want to make everyone feel uncomfortable by seeing me in a wheelchair. Pride goest before the fall . . . I believe that's scripture so I must not be the first one not to want to seen in a wheelchair. I'm not very good at quoting scripture but I am very good at loving my God.

 Unlike Humpty Dumpty I cannot be put back together again. (How many times have you read an essay that quotes scripture and Mother Goose? It takes a special kind of mind to use them both in the same essay.) I can continue to take my chances and not wound my pride. Or I can let my pride take one for the team and get the formerly-on-the-grass ass in the wheelchair for occasions that will require going from point A to point B. I knew the day was coming - and just like when I had to start relying on the cane, I will go to this stage with humor and as much grace as I can muster. (Start praying that I may have as much grace as I will need to muster!) Just like I was "Too Sexy for my Cane", I will create a similar song/mantra to get me through this new phase.

 I have never learned lessons the easy way. And I know that God knows this about me so he's given me 'soft' falls until the day that I would finally say -
"this might be better for all if I didn't fall". I'm slow but I'm finally there. Here's a bright side - maybe I won't be so slow when I have wheels!


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