Wheeled down the aisle

In a car on the way to work, I tuned to one of my favorite radio stations to catch up with the stories of the day. This time round it was a discussion on a story of a lady who had taken her boyfriend to be introduced to her family. The family of the lady seemingly refused to accept the fact that their daughter would marry a man of such a nature, a disabled man on a wheelchair. They discouraged her, and asked her to drop the idea.

I picked interest and keenly listened in as caller after caller shared their views. One of the presenters of the program then commented that every parent dreams of the day their girl would bring home the man of her dreams; a man who will walk her down the aisle. ‘No parent imagines her girl taking a man down the aisle in a wheelchair’.

One caller commented that it is all about love. If they love each other, the parents should let them be. ‘If they continue against the wishes of her parents, it may not go well with her someday in the future’ the discussion went on.

I sat back to think as I listened in, what could be going on in the mind of the parents of this guy, the subject of this discussion. What dreams do they have regarding their son? Will any girl, let alone the beautiful ones, agree to ever marry our son? If she does, because of love of course, will her parents be agreeable to it?

How about the subject of the discussion? What questions would be going through his mind? How does he deal with the realities of such a candid and deliberate rejection from his would be parents in law? Would he cope with it or overcome it? Will he ever dream of love again?

With a deep longing, I desired to see or even meet that young man, look him in the eye and say to him ‘hold on!’ ‘Don’t give up on love!’ ‘Know that someone still cares about you and loves you!’ well it was time, a commercial run and soon there was sports news as time and the day went.

Much respect is deserved by parents of a girl who relentlessly and with gladness that comes from trust let go the hands of their beautiful girl, onto the handles of a wheelchair rather than into the hands of a lovely young man walking her down the aisle. Greater admiration, in fact love, is deserved by that girl too, who chooses, despite all odds, not to be walked but wheeled down the aisle.