Our senior community is part of a 500-acre campus, with woodlands and mature, planned landscaping interspersed with meadows, blueberry patches and lawns. It is absolutely stunning in the spring, as brilliant cherry blossoms compete with delicate woodland redbuds in joyous pinks, while native dogwood and viburnum trees provide snowy white contrast. A 2-mile perimeter path winds its way around part of our campus offering a fragrant tour. I looked longingly at the walk, knowing that my energy level wasn’t sufficient to traverse and enjoy it. My recovery from anemia and parathyroid surgery is still ongoing, and I am beginning to wonder if I might never be strong enough to enjoy longer walks.

Giving up physical strength and adapting to physical limitations is a part of aging. Like the Riddle of the Sphinx, “What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, three legs in the evening, and no legs at night?” I’m already at the three legs phase—using a cane for balance and support. Technology has added another phase to the riddle: riding on three wheels comes after cane use for those of us with access to electric riding carts.

Our community has a Physical Therapy Department, replete with equipment, trainers and CARTS. On a whim, I called and asked if I might borrow a cart, citing my experience with one during my broken leg recovery five years ago. Amazingly, I was offered use of a cart…free!..for a couple of days!! Those days happened to coincide with an out-of-season April interval of sunny summer days. I was off! 

Ahh, the joy. Looking up at tree blossoms rather than down to avoid tripping hazards. Breathing deeply of the fragrances while not thinking about how breathless that slope had left me. Knowing that I could pause and absorb the smells and sounds with no need to conserve energy for the return visit. I drove this path twice before returning the cart with immense gratitude for my fortune in being so well cared for.

Of course, now I’m mulling whether I should investigate owning a cart. Would that be a capitulation to a lack of strength from which I might yet recover? Would I be tempted to never walk again if I could just hop on a scooter? So many medical imponderables…but I did decide to rent a cart during our upcoming trip to St Petersburg, where our hotel is located downtown near their great museums.  The Dali museum and the Chihuly Museum of Glass both deserve my full attention and energy…..