I'm a big fan of pumpkin soup. Pumpkin in general. But Thursday I went over to have dinner with some friends, and we were able to enjoy some amazing pumpkin soup. The genius almost-five-year-old (he told me it was seventeen days until his birthday) had high energy levels as we were eating, and showed off some lego creations after the meal before pulling out some paper to draw me a picture.
While driving across Kandern from my house to his, this little one had peppered me with questions about why I couldn't walk, why I needed crutches, why I had braces on my legs, why I was wearing blue pants, and several other pertinent details. I was totally impressed with the detail on his drawing of me that he showed after a few minutes alone while the grown ups talked.
Please notice the bun on the top of my head plus the rest of my hair, my two eyes, one nose, mouth, and how my arms are both holding four footed canes and my blue pants have my braces on top of them. I love this picture. But after the artist described these details to me, he said he wasn't finished and needed to draw more. When he came back and described the next picture, my heart nearly stopped.
The yellow is hard to make out on the left, but that's me healed with no canes or braces.
The artist matter of factly pointed out my fully healed body, and also my baby, and also a sunflower. I joked with some friends that if it took me getting a baby (the little artist also told me later that I would get married in 100 days) and a sunflower to also get healed that I'd be up for it, but genuinely I was incredibly touched by his confidence in seeing me healed. Sometimes people look at me and see a wheelchair until they get to know me. This little guy has seen me around school in the wheelchair and sometimes walking with my sticks. He knows me as a person, and he sees me as complete with our without mobility aids.
I didn't do a lot of walking this week, but I had several full moments of being all of me without identifying with any kind of disability. This weekend I talked to six of my favorite people scattered around the world and filled my heart up with encouragements from all of them. I'm hoping to rest well the rest of my fall break and continue to care for myself holistically. Just like my little artist, I believe I will be healed. In the meantime, I'm taking care of my body with the ability level that I do have.