Maintaining friendships while living with a Physical Disability

When it comes to living with Muscular Dystrophy or any physical disability like I have said before, it definitely comes with its own unique challenges. One place you may not think it might cause challenges is with keeping and making new friends. Over the years you quickly learn that some friends come and go, that’s just a part of life. Living with a disability you sometimes wonder if people don’t want to be a part of your life simply because you have certain physical limitations. At times you tend to start thinking that some people exclude you simply because they don’t want to have to deal with your issues. As if accommodating for your specific needs is too much of a hassle. 

 

I am sure others have experienced times in their lives when friends have excluded them from certain activities and it left them wondering why. Especially when it's activities they might have no trouble partaking in. Sometimes it seems as if some friends eventually become annoyed of having to think of your needs every time they plan an activity. These are usually the types of friends who stop calling you preferring to hang out with people who are not so limited by a physical disability. Now I do understand when people don’t invite me to go skiing or rock climbing but after a while it seems as if they simply start excluding you from everything – even the things you are still fully capable of doing. You can't help but wonder if people view you as too much of a burden. 

 

Thankfully at this point in my life I realize not all friends are created equally. Truth is only a few friends will actually accept you for who you are and be there in your times of need. As we grow older we realize that friends like these can be hard to find. It’s sad but true in life some friends will let you down, they may even talk behind your back or even exclude you from certain parts of their lives. One thing I believe is that friends are the people who make an effort to be a part of our lives. The truth is some people don’t value their friends as much as they should. Thankfully over time these types of friendships eventually come to an end. It’s like they say; “We don’t lose friends, we just find out who the real ones are.

 

You see even though I have lost a few friends over the years I have made some new ones along the way. At this point in my life I am truly thankful for everyone who still makes an effort to be a part of my life - especially those who don't exclude me because of my physical limitations.