Tread: An Ode to Svante the Svede

This week I turned in my 8-year-old wheelchair, Svante, and upgraded to a sweet little hot-rod of a chair... which I will write more about on another day. But for now, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. So much has happened, so much has changed over the past eight years, and Svante has been with me through it all. So here is an ode that I wrote for him today. 

Tread: An Ode to Svante the Svede

By Connie Chandler

We’ve been through a lot in eight years - 

Mud, Gravel, Snow, Sand

Grass, Carpet, Wet Cement

And even shallow pools of water.

We’ve made designs, made a mess, and made our mark.

We weren’t afraid to plunge in, plow ahead, and push forward.

Every time we were on the edge of something new, I felt you whisper, “Go!”

Everywhere we went, our tread told a story.

Sometimes we needed a little help – 

We slipped out of control,

We spun until we were stuck,

We stumbled and stopped at stairs, curbs, and potholes.

But sometimes we were smooth sailing -

Hiking mountain trails, zipping along greenways, 

Crossing bridges, exploring paths with hidden endings, 

Further up and further in, faster and vaster than I thought life could be.

And in those moments, I didn’t feel like I was sitting down.

I didn’t feel weak or limited or helpless.

I felt powerful and adventurous and truly me…

I felt free.