A Bargain at any Price...

I think everyone has seen this picture by now but I thought I would tell you a bit more about the day that it was taken. I remember the day vividly - it was a beautiful spring day in Toronto, April 26th of last year. I had driven up to visit Julie and Cameron while he was still staying at the Westpark Rehab Center and I brought some things from home, one was Cameron's razor - which explains the nifty beard in the photo. He was feeling good and had the weekend off and we were free to go downtown for the day - and what a day.

It started out on the subway with Cameron running and skipping down the subway stairs ahead of me. And when we got to the subway landing he was leaning out over the ramp looking for the subway to arrive. While we were waiting he was talking to everyone and their dog - quite literally because there was a man with a dog waiting there too and they had a great chat - all three of them. When we got on the subway Cameron decided to stand up and hang onto the safety strap with his one good arm but I finally convinced him to sit down. I was having a ball but I was a nervous wreck already!

Once we arrived downtown Cameron wanted to go everywhere at once. We started at the Eaton Centre and he was thrilled because the last time we were there he had been in a wheelchair - another story in itself. So Cameron being a creature of habit, we visited every store that we had been to before. After that we went outside and wandered all over downtown. Cam was passing out money to panhandlers - and passing out friendly advice to several street people too as I recall. He had quite a conversation about music with one girl in particular (and her dog) while I watched and waited - we were in no hurry.

We went everywhere, ate everything, bought everything and he quite literally wore me out. Cam was truly happy to be alive and out in the world after many weeks of being in hospitals. You can't possibly know that kind of happiness unless you have been through what he went through. I guess that is a gift of sorts. It seems like such a high price to pay but I guess true happiness is a bargain at any price. We had many other good days too - but this one stands out way above the others. I am so glad I was there to experience it - and capture it in this one photo. A picture of true happiness that you or I will probably never experience.

Forgive me if a few of my stories are about Cameron for awhile, but these are things everyone should know and writing about them is therapy for me. I hope reading them is therapy for you.