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Show 231 I, was eager and willing to help. With a life jacket in each hand she practically bounced down the hill, following my dad down to the canoes. It was my first canoe trip ever, though not my first SPLORE activity. Because SPLORE found cheap ways to take people with disabilities and their loved ones into the great outdoors, we were both lucky and unlucky enough to be able to qualify because of my mom's rare disease. At this moment I watched as two strong, male SPLORE employees effortlessly lifted my mom out of her wheelchair and into the canoe. We were packed and ready to go. The canoes looked like pregnant toothpicks, with one person stationed at the back and one at the front. As we began paddling, my "teacher," directly behind me, reminded me of the rules and instructions we had all discussed before boarding our skinny vessels. My paddle seemed to slice through the wet darkness below. Knowing I had almost complete control of my ship gave me an overpowering feeling of confidence. I looked around to see a glow coming from each of my family members faces as they too experienced what I was experiencing. My mom's face was different. She looked as though she was in a broad sea of emotions; determined yet calm, exuberant yet cautious, strong yet worn . Though on land her body could only sometimes manage to barely push a shopping cart along, on water she was able to pull an entire canoe. Amazing! |