Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Come Out and Play!


--by irongrace, posted Mar 11, 2009

I thought it was rather odd when my friend from the nursing home asked me to motor her wheelchair through the puddles that formed from the melting snow. I didn't really get it, but I went along with it. We were out on one of our walks or what I like to call one of our"weekly strolls" because I stand and she rolls. Adhering to my friend's peculiar request, we were off on our watery wheelchair adventure! We splashed through each puddle together and came out of each experience, slightly damp and smiling. In fact, after a few puddle excursions, even I started looking out for larger and more daunting puddles to sail through until one day we were out on our stroll, and to our dismay, no puddles were to be found. They had all dried up. 

Keen on keeping our strolling adventure alive, we discovered something new that awaited us. As we headed down the residential street, there was a small pile of leaves. My friend asked me to roll her through them and we did like two small children rushing into a cluster of autumn leaves which flew up into the air, softly floated around us and then made their way gently back to the earth. 

It was at that moment that I reflected more deeply on my friend's predicament. My friend had been in a wheelchair her whole entire life. As a child she never gotten to splish and splash through puddles or sprinklers or fly into a pile of leaves or roll through snow or feel her toes wiggle in the warm grainy sand. Her family always instructed her to "be an adult" and as the obedient daughter, she did her best to fit the mold, but I now see that the spirit of the child had been locked inside her for all these years. So, all she wanted to be with me, was a child who was free, free to laugh and play and get wet.

From wheelchair speeding through puddles and leaves, and across lawns, to howling with laughter, and screaming for no particular reason, we were like two playmates realizing what it truly meant to enjoy life, despite the strange looks or grouchy remarks we would hear from those around us who had let the joy of life slip through their worn fingers.

Thanks to my friend, I am now on a mission to find all those children within us and make them come out and play!

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Readers Comments

Lucy wrote: It is the joy of my 21 year old developmentally disabled son's life to push people's wheelchairs. I can't wait to read him this story!
3veni wrote: Hi, it's an fantastic story :) really very few people can understand this. Sharing and friends are very rare. Please try to understand them and share your feelings with them.


:).

Sanjay wrote: I had a lot of fun reading this - can guess it must've been a lot more fun doing it! :)) thanks
Wernher Eksteen wrote: It's really inspiring what you did, very few will take the time or do the effort to help out others, even if it's something as small and simple as to take them out and play, the way you did. You're amazing, and can assure you that in her life you made a huge difference which no amount of money can buy. It is sad how serious life has become, that we miss the simple things which in essence really means a lot more than the "serious" things we got ourselves involved in.


To mary rader - have you ever felt what it's like running, crashing through or falling on top a pile of leaves, it's amazing! The crackling sound of the leaves in your ears, the crisp fresh smell and the amazing feeling of joy whilst looking at the seemingly uncountable amount of leaves folding like a blanket around you, scattering in all directions as it makes it's way back to mother earth, and falling back on top of you as if to say, let's do it again!


I personally wouldn't mind constantly raking up piles of leaves for others just to get this amazing experience. Try it, i'm sure you might understand :-)


I really enjoyed reading this little but hart warming story, thanks for sharing! And keep on playing ;-)


Wernher
Mary Rader wrote: On it's face it sounds like a great story & we all think its wonderful that you tapped into a deep need of someone, but you mention grouchy comments. I wonder about the person who raked those leaves into a pile feeling like their needs were disrespected. Did you offer to redo their work after you were finished playing?
spirit39943 wrote: Thanks for this heartwarming story! To enter the kingdom of heaven, be a child :-)
sheila51 wrote: Thanks for sharing. Great story.

There's a kid in all of us that loves the puddles, leaves, etc. Your kindness let your friend enjoy these things that she couldn't have done on her own. I sure you had a ball too! :)
Smitha wrote: That was so sweet. I feel like taking a break and playing! Hope that laughter is always alive in both your and your friends life. Love, smitha
Tristan wrote: You did more than make your friend happy, you also put a smile on my face and a tear in my eye. Your story touched my heart and i bet other hearts as well.
tash wrote: I feel in love with this story. Posted it everywhere! Much love

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