And it’s a go, a go go go! We went as planned and took Anna back to the roller skating rink. It was so fulfilling for all of us. We went to Riverside Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.
It’s fun to step back in time for me. I skated as a kid a lot. Like every Friday night. It was the thing to do. As we walked up to the booth, the lady behind the glass asked how many. I said three. Then I said can I still take her wheelchair on the rink? “Yes, of course,” she answered so sweetly. My heart skipped a beat. How amazing that we are allowed to take her right on the rink and let her be pushed on skates by us. This is the greatest thing for those who are in a wheelchair. Then she asked me if she needed skates and I just told her that she doesn’t walk. She smiled.
Then I asked if we could look in the pro shop. We headed to the pro shop and again, memories galore. I saw all these neat little toys and stuffed animals and blow up things for kids’ birthday parties, and I guess things to just purchase. Oh boy, my granddaughter is going to be a skater with Aunt Anna! It was clean, stocked and organized. Then the young man helped us pick out our skates. Paul bought a black pair and my are going to be aqua with some glitter wheels. It was a great plan to get some skates for ourselves. No more renting them next time.
Then we went to get our skates and the fun began! I could not wait to get on the skating rink. It was not packed and they were playing great music. The lights above the rink were moving all around and they had more lights that “danced” to the beat. This was going to be heaven for Anna. Sure enough she was giggling and laughing for the numerous trips around the rink.
We get a lot of stares at first, then they turn into smiles. The kids really check us out and Anna just loves to be in motion. It’s great to skate around the rink and watch Anna smile and her hair blow in the breeze. I put myself in her shoes and wonder how it must feel to not walk but feel the motion of round and round and movement not created by your own body. It must feel nice and like a sense of freedom I think. The smiles told it all.
We skate (well me and Anna) for an hour and Paul skates most of it, with a few breaks in between. I’m more of a diehard. The rink is bringing back so many great memories. We will be making this a routine for sure. We might even have a birthday skating party for Anna.
It’s fun to take Anna to do things that I love. She doesn’t protest, she just enjoys. Her smiles of just being happy make sense in her world and I try to make those moments matter deeply in my world. We all just need to take in more fun and adventure. What fun things can you do as a Warrior mom? The list is endless.
“I think skating helped me find myself.” ~ Peggy Fleming
