When I am late...

[katepoet]

When I am late, please remember that I am recovering from illness and will be the rest of my life.

When I am late and simply apologize without explanation please know that there are things about this body and its damage that are too hard, too embarrassing to explain.

When I am late, I may have had a migraine, have taken longer than I planned because I limp, have tripped and fallen on the way to the car.

When I am late, I may not tell you these things because I would rather be defined as the late one than as the disabled one. Or I may tell you these things because I would rather be defined as the disabled one than as the one who doesn't care about how you feel.

When I am late it might be as simple as I just have stopped to listen to my son or my husband tell me something because life with them is precious and unlike those who are well, I can't always be there for them nor can they always be there for me.

When someone else is late, please remember that there might be a reason that you can't see as easily as my disability, or that someone might not even recognize about him or herself.

Please forgive us as we aren't all as able as you are to be on time.

Thank you.


(All the rest of you who are sometimes late - the kids, the husband, work, life... what are your reasons?)