It is a very rare thing to have neighbors in an apartment complex that you come to call friends. We were blessed in the first months of our marriage to have such neighbors living down stairs in our Dallas apartment complex - Lance and Mary.
Lance and Mary were young like us, and had not been married very long, but they had endured great trial in their short life together. Lance was injured in an accident, and lost the use of both legs - he was confined to a wheelchair. The thing that impressed me about both Lance and Mary from the outset was their amazing attitudes. No, they didn't like what had happened to them, but they had accepted it, and they were doing everything they could to live a normal, productive, happy life. Lance had his car "rigged" so that he could drive, and their apartment was equipped to accommodate his chair. The first time I met Lance, he was underneath his car working on it - he slid out to say hi. He "ran" in marathons, using his arms for power, and he and Jeff would sometimes play tennis together.
Lance and Mary had a little dog, Shadrach, who became friends with our dog, Barney. We would dog sit for each other, and we spent many summer evenings sitting on the bottom of the stairs outside of our apartments visiting. They were always so encouraging to be with, and we loved spending time with them. Occasionally, they would invite us over for dinner. I told Mary one time that I wished we could reciprocate, but I knew that Lance could not climb the stairs to come to our apartment. She told me that we could fix that - Jeff could carry Lance upstairs! I was a little surprised at first, but then Mary pointed out that even though Lance's upper body was quite fit, he didn't weigh that much because of the atrophy of his lower extremities. So, we did what she suggested, and enjoyed having them in our home several times after that.
Mary and I would walk together when we got home from work to get some exercise, and I loved those times of visiting together. We talked about our future hopes of having houses, and children to fill them. They bought a house and moved before we did, but we kept in touch with each other. They now live in San Antonio, and we enjoy their Christmas card every year, with pictures of their three children.
From Lance and Mary, I learned that even when life-changing tragedies occur, it doesn't have to defeat the spirit. Mary showed me how those vows we make when we marry someone can take on new meaning as we deal with caring for someone through the "sickness" part. Lance and Mary taught us that we can adjust to any situation, and still live a happy, productive life - even if it's not the life we once envisioned. They also taught me to never take my health, or the proper functioning of my body, for granted.
Lance and Mary were some of those "for a season" friends, and they served me well. I'm thankful that they were our neighbors, and for the wonderful example they set for me.
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