My cane goes everywhere with me – outdoors and indoors. I’m dependent on its strength to give me stability and balance, and I think it prevents falls. I bought it at a drugstore in Brazil, Indiana, after I had my right knee replacement almost 20 years ago. After recovery, I put the cane aside, but I’m glad I kept it. That’s because the cane has now been my constant helper due to arthritis.
Of late, I’ve noticed how my use of a cane has brought out kindness in people, friends and strangers. At church, the post office, and at any store that doesn’t have automatic doors, people offer to open the door for me. I would always say a word of thanks. Then I started saying, “God bless you.” Once at the post office, I gave that blessing, and the man (a stranger) who helped me through the doors said in return, “Thanks.”
Thus, I’m convinced that we do still have kind people in the world. While I could open doors for myself, people who see me, walking toward the building and using a cane, open the doors. It’s as if they know the right thing to do. I am grateful.
Ann Coker 