Ruby's Walking

She stood teetering on two feet. She's been standing on her own now for some time. A couple of steps have been taken. But there standing by the fridge she looked like a ballet dancer as she raised her arms over her head. Her chest leaned forward. Her expression changed from concentration to determination.

Then.

She walked.

Her arms up, her chest out, she flung herself into a new world.

She's just over a year old and now the floor she crawled on only minutes ago is being explored anew. She looked to us for approval and then she was off. Around the banister and down the hallway, back to the front room, around and into the kitchen. One minute she couldn't walk. The next minute she was running.

Ruby's world has changed.

With her 'forth into the world' posture - arms up, chest out ... it was hard not to contemplate what kind of world she was thrusting herself forward into.

She already has decided that I am cool but my wheelchair is cooler. She likes it when her Dad runs her around the lawn while she sits in my place in my chair. She likes it as a jungle gym. And she's met Mickey, Mike's friend with an intellectual disability. Last time he was up to visit Mike, he held her and she looked at him and decided that he was OK. She comes from a mix of ethnicities so her birthday party is a little UN.

She is only a year and has experienced more integration than my parents have in their life. She is only a year so she hasn't yet learned that some amongst her acquaintences have less value, so she values all of us equally. She is more concerned about kind, than smart. She is more concerned with generous, than mobile. She is more concerned with the content of the characters in those she meets.

Ruby's walking today.

We went out to dinner to celebrate and she took over the pizza joint. She'd run back to her dad and be swung into the air. She'd tire and grab onto my tire to rest a bit. At one point she was so excited she just put her head back and laughed.

On our way out Mike pushed me and she walked beside me.

She's walking beside someone who's rolling.

I don't know why but I think that's cool.