An animated gif of a walk sequence. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If I could walk anywhere I wanted I would walk across the room toward my Grand daughter, saying, “Look at Pop, Pop!” Then I would lean over and give her a big hug. “I told you,” I might say, “these boots are made for walkin’ and that is what they do. One of these days these boots are gonna’ walk right over to you!”

Seven years old Teryn has never seen me walk. While I don’t think about it much, she seems to – as she sorts out the world and what it means. She says, “I wish Pop Pop could walk.” I don’t want to try to disguise my limitations, cover them up, pretend they aren’t there. I do want to show her what I ‘can’ do already, but all I have ever done is sit down around her.

My goal right now is to walk and stand again better than she has known, and as I gain I want to show her my progress. After a week of being away, Physical Therapist Charol measured the distance I could walk and stand. As I stood, she told me to close my eyes and she pushed me around, from all sides. Steady as a rock (well, almost) I did not budge. She said everything was twice as good as it had been when she measured before.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not doing this all for Teryn. I know she loves me already. I am really doing it for me, but I want her to know there is this walking side of Pop Pop too.