Support On Ice
By Jessica Cashmore and Newmar
It's only November, and we're getting icy mornings. It's cold to the point where the wood of the deck sounds like it is cracking under foot. I take Newmar out at 6:30 to do his business. Therefore, it is often still dark. Even though I have a little bit of vision, I cannot see if there is snow or ice on the deck, so I am relying on my other senses to tell me that there's snow.
One particular morning comes to mind. It had been freezing rain all night. I couldn't feel it under foot on the deck due to the overhang. However, I knew that the stairs might be a little slippery because I heard rain falling. I didn't know that it was freezing rain until I touched the railing. Normally, Newmar is so anxious to get down the stairs and onto the grass to do his business. However, that morning, he was very slow and steady. He was even keeping close to my left side to the point where I could actually feel him. It was as if he wanted to support me while going down the stairs. He must have known it was slippery. Normally in this situation, I would have grabbed onto the left handrail as well as the right so that I was equally balanced.
This dog never fails to amaze me!! Each day, he is finding ways to work with me and adapting for me so that we can walk comfortably. He has adapted to the way I walk with the cerebral palsy. When he did this that morning, I put my hand on his back to support myself. I did the same on the way up. I didn't put a lot of weight on him of course, but it was just enough to prevent me from falling.
He is a miracle, a godsend.
It's only November, and we're getting icy mornings. It's cold to the point where the wood of the deck sounds like it is cracking under foot. I take Newmar out at 6:30 to do his business. Therefore, it is often still dark. Even though I have a little bit of vision, I cannot see if there is snow or ice on the deck, so I am relying on my other senses to tell me that there's snow.
One particular morning comes to mind. It had been freezing rain all night. I couldn't feel it under foot on the deck due to the overhang. However, I knew that the stairs might be a little slippery because I heard rain falling. I didn't know that it was freezing rain until I touched the railing. Normally, Newmar is so anxious to get down the stairs and onto the grass to do his business. However, that morning, he was very slow and steady. He was even keeping close to my left side to the point where I could actually feel him. It was as if he wanted to support me while going down the stairs. He must have known it was slippery. Normally in this situation, I would have grabbed onto the left handrail as well as the right so that I was equally balanced.
This dog never fails to amaze me!! Each day, he is finding ways to work with me and adapting for me so that we can walk comfortably. He has adapted to the way I walk with the cerebral palsy. When he did this that morning, I put my hand on his back to support myself. I did the same on the way up. I didn't put a lot of weight on him of course, but it was just enough to prevent me from falling.
He is a miracle, a godsend.