On Being a TAB

I love the church we joined, it has been an amazing experience for me.  However, going to a Methodist church in a red state is an experience unlike anything I had seen previously in my swinging, hippy liberal churches in the north.

But when in fellowship, God's love is present, flowing through everyone and to us all.  Way better than intermission at a Dead show.

There is one couple that Adrienne and I had a bond with from the very first time we saw them because she is the primary care giver to the husband, who late in life became afflicted with a debilitating, chronic illness that affects his nerves.  There was a period when they thought he would never leave the hospital, let alone walk again.

But he proved them wrong.  He gets around with his walker and motorized wheelchair and has a daily exercise regime that is truly impressive.  He spends hours everyday, either at the gym or in the pool, working out.  She, of course, is tasked with the things he cannot do for himself.  She told us about the many steps she has to go through whenever they travel; on over night trips, she has to repeat the process every morning before they can leave the hotel.

Today he shared that he has suddenly lost a significant amount of strength in his legs; this is never good news.  Even though even though he didn't sound upset or even concerned, I felt alarm for him and his wife.  


Of course, I quickly realized that that is going to happen to me someday.  I mean, happen to us.

For a while there, I used to rail at the TABs (Temporarily Able Bodied), but I stopped when I rejoined their ranks.   Most of the time, I take it for granted that I will never be paralised again.  The weight of that knowledge is too much to carry around everyday.