Heroes - the physically challenged

The other day, I was at Wal-Mart. I was sitting on one of the benches they have outside, talking to a friend. During a lull in our conversation, I noticed a middle-aged couple walking to their van. With them were two children, one probably around 10, the other around 16, if I had to guess. The two kids were in wheelchairs.

Today, I deem those two kids heroes. They didn't stop a speeding bullet or even chase down a thief. To the best of my knowledge, they don't have capes or wear brightly colored tights. They weren't that day, anyway. All they did was wheel themselves out of Wal-Mart, across the parking lot, and into their van.

The van was equipped to allow them to open the side door, ride up on an elevator of sorts while still in their wheelchairs, and roll back to their spots. I assume that once they were in the van, there was a way to secure their chairs as they were riding around town.

What impressed me was that although the adults were obviously there if they needed them, the two boys wheeled themselves between traffic and into the van. I'm sure they've done it hundreds of times. And it's probably no big deal to them. It's simply part of who they are, what they have to do in a day to get by.

It just made me so in awe of the work they had to do just to get from the store to their home...and their ability and willingness to do it. It didn't even cross my mind to beat myself up about all the times when I complained because I couldn't find a parking space or whined about having to park at the back of the parking lot and walk for what seemed like blocks in the rain. I could have (beaten myself up). But I didn't. Watching those boys be so self-sufficient completely held my attention. So much so, that I had to apologize to my friend for not hearing what she was saying to me.

I'm pretty sure those two boys wouldn't consider themselves heroes. But they were for me that day. Just imagining the extra effort they'd have to put into SO MANY daily tasks that I simply take for granted, just astonished me. I'm sure that they inspire each other to keep going, to learn new ways of making their lives a little easier. And I KNOW that they'll continue to be an inspiration for other people like me. People who really have no idea what they really have to go through, who just see a tiny glimmer of one little piece of their day.

God bless them for what they endure. Keep their hearts full of joy as they go about their days. And continue to touch the lives of people like me with those miracles. Amen.