A World of Sparkly Pink Shoes

As usual, Momma took me to the park today. She was carrying me on her side, and I was wearing my AFO shoes as usual. All my friends in the park looked at me and smiled, their usual 'oh-he-can't-walk' sympathy-filled smiles that I hate so much but choose to ignore every day. I greeted them all and told Mom to put me down on my regular bench. She did and adjusted me such that I sat supported on the bench.

Image Courtesy- AI-generated.

Hello, dear reader, welcome to an ordinary day in the life of an 8-year-old kid with Cerebral Palsy. Ever heard about the specially abled kids who have difficulty in movement because of some brain injury? I am one such kid. Nothing exciting about it, by the way, just some boring stuff about how my mom helps me with everyday things. Right from getting out of bed to dressing to moving to sitting and all. Except for this little variation, I am just like other kids, only with a positivity lens that I've learnt to see the world with. Being unable to move on your own keeps you grounded after all, I guess.

But hey, I’m just a kid, and sometimes I behave like one. Like I get annoyed when my therapist coddles me, saying what a good boy I am, so I finish my exercise sets during Physiotherapy sessions. Come on, I am not a 5-year-old to fall for it anymore! It’s stuff like this that irritates me sometimes and makes me lose my cool, which usually ends with me overthinking. It’s become my thing now.

This week was going well until today. After my usual therapy session, I met a cool guy at the park who wore glowing pink shoes. I was fascinated by them and, honestly, a bit jealous. When I got home, I went through my routine, but something felt off. My mom thought I was throwing another tantrum and didn’t pay much attention to me. She tucked me into bed, but I couldn’t sleep, lost in thoughts about the day. I realized my annoyance wasn’t just from therapy; it was something more.

I was tired of always being the wise kid. I wondered why I am special and not just abled? Why can’t I wear those sparkly shoes? Why does my mom have to carry me everywhere? Even if I can’t walk on my own, why can’t I be treated like other kids? After all, how is it any of my fault that I was born like this? Why do I have to wear those boring AFOs when kids my age get to wear those fancy shoes? Why aren’t my shoes equally fancy and shiny? 

It’s not that I'm not trying, alright. I am practicing walking with a walker with my therapist every day. But looking at myself, I wonder even if I walk with a walker someday, will I ever be able to wear those sparkly pink shoes…and is this all really worth it if I can’t?

But then, shoes probably can’t decide who I become, right? I can be so much more. Maybe I can still grow up to be someone who teaches others, helps people, and makes their world a little brighter. Yes, that’s what I will do.

And somewhere between those thoughts, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a world filled with sparkles and magical beings!

Image courtesy: AI-generated.

Thanks for reading.

Dear reader, the thought that must have crossed your mind after reading this is what I really wanted to convey. You are right, this is not only about sparkly pink shoes! It’s about so much more. Think of the ‘sparkly pink shoes’ as a symbol of fitting into the societal norm, and you’ll understand what all this is really about! I hope you remember this the next time you see a specially-abled child and be a little more considerate. 

.

A/N: 

After so many ups and downs, second thoughts, and overthinking, this piece has finally made it to the Blogspot. It’s my first time writing something like this, and I hope you feel all the emotions I felt when I wrote it. Definitely the most challenging article I’ve written so far. This will always remain a special blog to me, though. Thanks again.

Let me know your thoughts on the topic in the comments.

For any query/concerns/suggestions/collaboration, please connect with me at- 

Email- thisisprachi03@gmail.com 

IG-  @prachi._who @niche_of_expressions

Full forms: AFO- ankle foot orthosis

If you want to read more about Cerebral Palsy, here are some links-

https://www.cdc.gov/cerebral-palsy/about/index.html

https://cparf.org/what-is-cerebral-palsy/severity-of-cerebral-palsy/gross-motor-function-classification-system-gmfcs/

https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/treatment/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8717-cerebral-palsy

P.S.: This is an imaginary story written by yours truly based on her observations during her clinical practice and should not be considered a standard representation of any concept/ situation. Pictures used in the blog are from the internet; I do not own them. Credit to the rightful owner.


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