Relationships seeing past the chair. Past the chair sits men or women scared to put themselves out there. Terrified of what may happen if they open up and they are rejected. Their self-esteem isn’t what it once was. They are scared once you look past that chair you will see a very complicated life. A life filled with many complications such as pain, bowel routine, depression and the list goes on. Many things that are very embarrassing to talk about. They think after time they will be a burden to their partners as time goes on. So most will never take that leap as they think no one will love me for me.
Men and women who have sustained spinal cord injuries have been through a lot (a whole lot). They grieve the loss of their independence, and persevere through terrible circumstances, medical complications and emotional ups and downs most of us can’t even imagine. What this does to someone’s mental state can either make them or break them. The men and women who are able to take the toll this injury has on them and turn it into emotional intelligence, strength and adaptability have something that most who have not gone through a life-changing injury do not have: resilience. Being truly vulnerable is something that is so beautiful. It is hard to find with a partner, but once you do, it is the ultimate experience in closeness.
And yes as any relationships there are down sides, but as I said before paralyzed people are like snowflakes none are the same. But that’s every relationship, you just need to learn and be understanding.
And then you have the perks. Finding an amazing person to spend your life with, great parking, no waiting in lines, great seating at shows, VIP at the movies lol the list goes on and on.
