let me give you little background before we get to the good stuff. if you don't know me and you haven't read any previous blog posts, i am a quadriplegic as a result of a car accident when i was 16 years old. blah, blah, blah. what i'm about to share is not for purpose of feeling pity or sorry for me but to try to help you understand more about what i will write about later in this post.
almost every minute of my life is physically hard. getting out of bed is hard. dressing is hard. because i can't get comfortable, sleeping is hard. getting from point a to point b is hard. getting in and out of my my car is hard. fixing dinner for my kids is hard. laundry is hard,...do you get my point? again, i don't mean to complain, just inform. i really do love my life and feel so blessed despite my struggles.
i've always had a home that has been accessible for my wheelchair and for my needs. this has made my life easier for me, so when my husband left me (see "changes" blog below...) that blessing was taken away. i stayed with my parents for 5 months, which i am so grateful they were there for me and my children, but we never felt settled. my oldest son kept referring to us as hobos because we had nowhere that we could call our own. so with help from a wonderful friend who felt it was her mission to get me into my own place, i found the home we are renting now.
finding a wheelchair accessible place to live is nearly impossible, i want you to know, and the house we are in is most definitely not. the thing is, all i wanted to do was to find the place my children needed to be. they had their whole lives ripped from them, and i wanted to live where it was best for them. after lots of searching and praying, i know the home we are living in now is where we needed to be--even if that meant my life would become even harder...
and harder it is.
although the house is a single level, there are two steps to get in. my dad and brothers made a stellar ramp in my garage. it works, but the angle is almost too steep, which makes getting in the house difficult.
the kitchen sink is in the corner...i wheel up and turn sideways to be able to access the sink...kind of. i can barely turn the water on because the faucet is set back so far. then when i try to leave the sink area, my wheelchair gets stuck on the cabinets which makes me want to fight every time!
...it also makes loading the dishwasher very difficult.
i used to be able to roll under my sink and stove top and the oven was in the wall so i could bake tasty treats with ease. now i have to sidle up to the stove/oven to cook for my children...i can't even see into the pans. not many tasty treats have been made in this house-- and that's one of the saddest thing i've heard yet!
the laundry room is a teeny joke..again i fight just to maneuver my chair around to get the clothes from the washer to the dryer.
my shower is so sad...we had to take the door off so my shower chair would fit, but the distance between the wall and the chair is so small, i get stuck in the shower almost every time i get in.
that all being said, i still feel so blessed to live where i live, in a nice home, in a beautiful place, with my sweet kids whom i love.
so enough of the background...are you ready for the amazing part? here goes...
about a month ago, i dropped off my oldest son at a friend's house. the parents of this boy came out and got in my car and told me to drive. {side note: i've known the parents for almost 20 years...i was NOT being abducted or held against my will...} they lead me to a vacant lot at the front of their subdivision. "mr. c" informed me that he and "mr. s" and "mr. r" had been working on some things for me and my family this past year. {that's the understatement of the year!} they had gotten 50 anonymous investors--some who know me and some who don't--to invest in a trust. with that trust, they bought the lot we had driven to. on the lot was going to be built a house for me...one that would make my life easier.
the tears came.
they haven't stopped.
 |
| here it is! |
i met this last week with the company who has agreed to build our home--BRIGHTON HOMES. we looked at plans and made some adjustments. "mr. h" who was working with me told me that the cabinet guy would be donating all the materials and labor. the concrete guy is donating his labor.
really?!
more tears.
so do you see why i am amazed?
i'm amazed at the goodness of these men who are working so hard for me and my kids to give us a place that is ours...that will bring my life some ease on more than one level.
i'm amazed at the number of investors who have agreed to help us.
i'm amazed that the lot has waited around for me for 15-20 years--that's about how long it's been vacant!
i'm amazed at the love i feel for all who are doing this for me--some of whom i don't even know.
i'm amazed at the love i feel for my little family from so many people.
i'm amazed this is happening to me.
i am
simply
amazed...
{i'll continue posting about this incredible journey i am about to embark on...stay tuned for the rest of the story!}
