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There Dan and I were, sitting at the table with two microphones, testifying before six Michigan Senators.

Dan was to my left and a gallery of about a hundred people sat behind us (thank God they were sitting behind us!) and listened to what we had to say.

The Region VII Area Agency on Aging had asked if we’d be willing to testify before a Michigan Senate Appropriation’s Subcommittee about our experiences with the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program. You know, that’s the one that provides the in-home care to help me with various activities of daily living, such as cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping, while Dan goes to work at Central Michigan University.

And when they asked, we jumped (okay not me) at the chance to share our story. We often say to our MS support group, “Be your own best advocate.” So when we were given this chance to speak to our legislators, we had to practice what we preach.

And it was WONDERFUL!

When all is said and done, we had the floor for about two minutes to tell how this program helps us to live our life together. And how incredible that these Senators, namely Sen. Roger Kahn and Sen. Deb Cherry, personally thanked us for coming, saying that it was nice to see the faces of the people MI Choice is helping.

 Thanks to Region VII that coordinates the caregivers who help me, many of our state legislators had already seen our faces and knew our story. The agency recently featured us on a poster displayed at a Michigan Legislative Luncheon in Lansing. And it wasn’t just a little poster. It was 2- by 3-foot displayed right there on the welcome table!

We hope that our story helps demonstrate to our State Senators and Representatives how this valuable program truly benefits so many people, as well as the state of Michigan.

With this, we’re even more excited about following up with our legislators at Older Michiganians Day in June, the same as we’ve done the past two years!

In other news …

• The current issue of Wartburg Magazine, the alumni magazine from Wartburg College (Dan’s alma mater), includes a well-written story about us and our efforts to inspire others and increase MS awareness. Check it out! 

• Speaking of current issues: The most recent post on Carnival of MS Bloggers features one of our stories! It’s really exciting to receive such recognition and be included in this online community of bloggers. Big THANKS to Carnival administrator Lisa Emrich for including us. She maintains a very active site that we’ve closely followed since we started a site of our own. 

From Herrad

 • And we were honored to receive a Big Red Bow Award from Herrad, administrator of the blog Access Denied–Living With Multiple Sclerosis. Check it out. Herrad is very sincere and we are so glad we discovered this very engaging and inspiring site!

Moving to the music on the dance floor is nothing new for Jennifer and me. At weddings and parties we always go and claim an unoccupied corner of the dance floor – out of everyone’s way – and “dance.”

This dancing involves Jennifer elevating her powerchair seat so we’re closer to the same height and we either embrace and sway to a slow song or join hands and boogie with our arms to a fast song.  

But there was something different this time at WCMU’s annual Night of Louisiana.

This was our second year attending what the public broadcasting network flaunts as a way for people to cure the mid-winter blues. As for me, I always tell others they have to go because it’s just plain ridiculous fun!

Boogying the night away

So, Jennifer and I donned our Mardi Gras beads and headed out for a night of southern-style cuisine and live Cajun and zydeco music by The Pine Leaf Boys and Lil’ Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers.

After meeting up with our friends, we swiftly forgot about the frigid late January freeze. Trusting in the sweet fruitiness of overpriced and fully liquored Hurricane drinks to cool the burn from our spicy Cajun dinner, Jennifer and I watched as people swarmed the dance floor three notes into The Pine Leaf Boys’ opening song.

The people’s dancing to the fiddle- and accordion-laced Cajun music was contagious. Jennifer and I quickly claimed an unoccupied corner of the dance floor and throughout the night we danced – swaying and boogying while Jennifer sat in her powerchair.

But with one song, everything changed: Jennifer was standing – honest to God standing! – with me out on the dance floor.

Lord know what led us to give this a try (Jennifer thinks maybe it was a little liquid courage), but all I remember was her looking up at me as the slow song started and I asked, “Did you want to try standing a little for this one?”

Certainly, I always help Jennifer stand to make transfers at home, but never had we stood together like this in public, especially on dance floor with hundreds of people around us.

Jennifer didn’t hesitate to say, “Yes,” and as we always do to stand, she put her arms around my neck and I straddled her right leg, slightly squatted, wrapped my arms around her back and locked my hands together. And she counted, “1, 2, 3.”

A picture of us slow dancing, but not of our first real dance (Remember? We were the only ones there when it happened).

And there we were. Dancing our first slow dance. Jennifer and I standing together swaying to the slow song. And all we really could do was smile as we looked into each other’s eyes (although, I do remember telling her how awesome it was to see her standing because she knows how much I enjoy the fact that she’s two inches taller than me). 

While her MS-weakened legs likely limited our dance to less than a minute, I truly had lost track of time. I was really dancing with my wife. I’ll bet with Jennifer standing with me we looked just like everyone else on the dance floor.

But I couldn’t tell you for sure. For that moment in time, we were the only ones out there.