Commentary on "It Takes One"

The article below reminded me of the many people, one on one, who have helped me as I face enormous expenses from my own disability.

I've had an aide for years who works at an extremely low salary which has been a huge financial sacrifice for her.

A friend of mine ordered my current wheelchair from ebay and had it shipped to me at no cost to me.

My kitchen was made accessible by a friend who coordinated contractors, bought supplies and even consulted with others as to the proper dimensions.

A friend of mine built my ramp at no cost to me.

My landlady has helped me with costs pertaining to getting a ramp and pays for additional improvements - which is an ongoing project and much appreciated.

Friends of mine who are nurses donate their time and care as needed.

My wheelchair tennis chair was donated to me by Quickie.

And then there are the many people who have , one on one, helped me with an errand, spent time with me when I wasn't feeling well or gave me rides or brought me meals.

All of these efforts were, without exception, sparked by one person even when others helped. None of them would have happened if any one of these people chose not to help.

Experiencing this kind of generosity of spirit has changed not only the course of my life,but it's changed me . I can take no credit for the fact that I now am more open to others' needs, because I am simply passing on what has been given to me to those who need it more.

Whether we give others medical equipment, money, time, meals, services or labor, our efforts as one person have a ripple effect that we may trust in, although it is often unseen by us.