Feels Like Summer Again!

by Jared Wayland

The last few days in Southern Ontario have been HOT, and it’s really given me a taste for summer – and summer means more freedom! To put it bluntly, winter can be a real pain as a wheelchair user. The amount of time spent indoors and at home can be both mentally and physically challenging. There’s a severe lack of sunshine, the days are short and grey, and it’s terribly cold. I hate all of these things. There’s nothing worse than making plans to go somewhere in the winter and having mother nature ruin it with a sudden snow storm or ice storm. There have been times where I haven’t been able to leave the house for two weeks at a time during the winter months. But, one thing I try to tell myself constantly is that “the nice weather is just around the corner.” Well, it may arrive sooner than expected! As I write this, I’m sitting in a t-shirt and shorts with the window wide open and the beautiful spring breeze rolling in. The nice thing about weather like this, is that I can just roll outside to my deck, get into my platform lift down to ground level, and cruise around wherever my heart desires. No bundling up in layers of clothing, no worrying about my wheelchair getting stuck in the snow - just throw on some sunglasses and away we go! The nice weather also means that I’ll have so many more opportunities to play outside with my son, who is almost 16 months old. I can’t wait to swing golf clubs around with him, play in his water table, go for walks around the neighbourhood and start teaching him how to garden! Keep an eye on my Instagram and my Life at iLevel blog for some fun adventures in the sun with my family! I can’t wait to share these fun times in the nice weather with all of you!