by Nancy Quinn

Created on: January 10, 2010

Cheers drifted up to the second floor window and Susan looked out. She didn't need to question where her son was right now. She knew his nose would be pressed against the front living room window watching the kids playing yet another game of street hockey.

She sighed and tried to refocus to more positive thoughts. Even though Jason was eleven years old now and seemed well-adjusted, it still bothered her that the crutches were still his best friends. Spina Bifida had been a battle since infancy. But she was proud of Jason, and herself, that they had always focused more on his ability than his disability. And she knew that determination was what defied the doctor's prediction that he would never leave his wheel chair. Even though it didn't seem to bother Jason that he couldn't participate in activities where running was involved, it felt like a knife cutting into her own heart as a mother when she saw things she felt her son was being left out of.

With the laundry basket now overflowing with bed sheets and towels, she made her way down to the basement to begin a new set of chores. With the ancient washing machine making its usual ruckus as it groaned its way to filling with water, she hadn't even heard the door slam.

"Hmm, maybe I could ask Jason to call his friend Matt to stop over this afternoon and I can take them go-karting." She thought to herself. She wanted to keep her son busy with his own activities and continually looked for things for him to try that she thought he would enjoy. To see him going so fast around the track with a big grin made her own heart race with happiness.

"Jason!" she called out. "As soon as I finish this load of laundry, let's go to the go-kart track this afternoon." Silence answered her, but she didn't think anything of it. He was probably still distracted by watching the kids on the street. Sometimes they got so noisy when they made a goal. She was thankful that they lived on a quiet street that was bursting with neighborhood children. Jason had many friends, but always seemed to conveniently need to be indoors when they played the more active games.

"Jason?" Susan called out again. She checked his usual spots in the house and then curiously looked out the front window. Doing a double-take, her grin quickly became as large as her son's. He was balancing on his crutches and standing in front of one of the goals. Susan wasn't sure, but she thought she saw his friend Matt wink to Jerry who was poised to take a shot.

"Oh no," she groaned. "Jerry is the best player on the team." She whispered to herself. And as any mother would, she prayed that her child wouldn't be hurt, physically or emotionally. But no, with hands raised in victory, Jason's team surrounded him after he easily pushed the puck out of the way of the net.

Susan smiled and went back to the basement to finish the laundry. She knew Jason would always be ok. And as long as he was always blessed with supportive friends, there were no limits to what he'll be able to do in life, even playing hockey.

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