Stairs

Yesterday I had to walk up the stairs at the office to get to work. There's nothing unusual about that, since it's something that everyone at the office does - every day. What was unusual for me was that it didn't hurt.

After my accident, I was in a wheel chair for about four months, and therefore had to take the elevator. After the wheel chair came the crutches and then the cane, and finally, walking unassisted. This took about 3 more months.

When I graduated to the cane, I thought that I might try the stairs - you know, push myself. After about 5 steps (there are 18), I stopped and thought to myself that I had made a terrible mistake. I was already winded, and I couldn't even step up with my right leg. The journey was step, shuffle - step, shuffle - step, shuffle. I was late getting to my desk, and panting like a racehorse with beads of sweat glistening on my forehead. Okay, it was glistening all over my head, since I don't have a lot of hair on top - but you get the point.

The next day I walked in the lobby doors and looked at the stairs. Shuddering, I started toward the elevator - but I stopped. How was I ever going to be able to climb any stairs ever again if I didn't keep trying? With a groan (yes, I actually groaned), I went back to the stairs.

Mustering my courage, I put my right foot on the first stair and pushed down, lifting my body up. Pain shot through my leg and knee, and I thought I might fall - I pushed anyway. I had to - I was halfway up. Wisely, I clutched the banister and used my arm muscles as much as my leg. That was the only stair I could handle with my right leg - that day.

So far, I have only told you what it was like going up. Going down was a nightmare. Not only did it hurt - possibly more than going up, but I could see all the way down the stairs to the bottom floor, and I knew that if I made a mistake, I was in for a world of hurt.

I admit there were days when my courage failed me and the elevator seemed like a blessing. But for the most part, every time I thought about taking the easy way out, I reminded myself that I would never win that way.

It has taken about two and half months of going up and down those stairs - as well as stepping off curbs and going up and down every set of stairs that I came upon. And now, yesterday, for the first time, I climbed the stairs - and came down them after work - pain free. I actually went down as fast - well, almost as fast as my co-workers.

I remember my wife the first time she saw me descending the staircase after work. Her first demand was, "What do you think you're doing?" I explained that I needed to do this if I ever wanted to be able to make it up and down the stairs. "Well, you make sure you hold onto the rail!" was her reply. I still do.


See, the other thing about pushing ourselves is that sometimes, even though they have the best intentions of keeping us safe - they don't want to see us get hurt - our loved ones hold us back. I love my wife dearly because she understood and didn't hold me back. I know that she worried - for a while at least - every time I went up and down any set of stairs. But she knew that I needed that challenge.

In life, we are faced with stairs everyday, and usually, there is an elevator waiting off to the side that will help us avoid the pain and difficulty of the stairs. Please take a moment and ask yourself which is really the best for your progression - which is going to make you the person you wish to be?

Some days, it will be the elevator. When I went back to work, it was the elevator for me until I was walking without support. But some days you will realize that perhaps instead of just going to the elevator out of habit, the best thing, really, would be to climb the stairs. Even though it hurts.

Remember, there will come a day - I don't know when - but there will come a day when it will be pain free. And the greater news is that you will be able to reach new heights by climbing your own personal staircase. And that is miraculous.