While Taylor was on his stair-scoping mission, one of my colleagues and I started conversing. Seeing that I was in the middle of a conversation, Taylor came over and gave his patented “2 thumbs up” in regards to getting me up the steps. My heart jumped for joy! I was so excited that I would still be able to get to the outer deck. As much as I was enjoying my conversations, all I could think about was getting up those steps to feel the ocean air!
After eating a great lunch with my supervisor and his family, I gave Taylor a huge smile and said, “I’m ready! Let’s do this!!”
Taylor smiled and said, “OK.”
My supervisor asked what was going on and Taylor explained. After volunteering to help me get to the upper deck of the boat, my supervisor recruited a few of our co-workers to help carry me and my wheelchair up the steps. While everyone congregated in the doorway leading to the steps and began coming up with a strategy to get me upstairs, Taylor pushed me to the doorway. Now, I should explain that I never actually saw the steps until this very moment.
When I saw the steps, I realized that these were, in fact, the steepest steps known to mankind. Not only were they steep, they were so narrow that my wheelchair was almost too wide to fit in the staircase. AND, as if that wasn’t enough, at the top of the staircase was a wall. So, once the people carrying me and my wheelchair reached the top of the staircase, they had to maneuver me and my wheelchair around a sharp right turn, step over a two-inch threshold and go through a narrow doorway before they could lower my wheelchair to the floor.
After seeing the staircase, I thought, “There is no way on this green earth everyone is going to make it up these steps in one piece!! I am just going to chill right here on the lower deck and call it a cruise.”
Once I came to this realization, I looked for Taylor to tell him I’d just stay on the lower deck. But, before I could say anything, I was up in the air. So, I proceeded to do what I always do in these situations- PRAY!!! Before I knew it, I was on the upper deck. HOORAY!!! And, everyone had survived the trip… double HOORAY!!!!!!!
Once safely upstairs, Taylor asked me where I wanted to sit. I looked around and pointed to the perfect spot. Upon positioning my chair just perfectly, I basked in the sunlight and ocean air. After relaxing for a few minutes, I said to Taylor, “Those were some steep steps!””
“Yeah, they were,” was his reply.
“You could have told me they were too steep.”
“Allison, you really wanted to come up here. I wasn’t going to let some steps stop you!”
I was momentarily at a loss for words. I smiled and simply said “Thank you.”
What a gift it is to have people in our lives who help us achieve our dreams even when we may think an obstacle is too great to overcome. Thank you to all the people in my life who let me “borrow” their muscles so I can accomplish my dreams.
Below is a picture of one of the awesome views that I enjoyed from the upper deck of the boat ☺️!
Image description: A lighthouse with a green top and white body sits on a tiny island. The water in front of the lighthouse has waves from the boat. Behind the lighthouse are two small grass-covered islands.
