It makes all the sense in the world to me when seniors (anyone, for that matter) believe they are less independent because some of us use wheelchairs, walkers, communication devices, service animals, and so on. 

This brings me to the power of acceptance and our understanding of independence itself. Acceptance itself can fuel independence. Yet the fact this may be so doesn’t mean we recognize it when it’s happening.

Someone, we’ll call him Biff, sustains an SCI (spinal cord injury) and finds himself defined as a paraplegic by the world of healthcare and beyond. His upper body is fully functional, but he can’t move his legs. So, Biff accepts the current reality of the injury, and chooses to use a wheelchair. Rather than allowing the SCI to call the shots, Biff demolished its ability to take away his mobility. This is independence at its finest. 

The power of acceptance is used by many of us without even realizing it. Your eyesight is giving you trouble and reading or seeing at any distance is problematic. Do you accept this? Not if you don’t have to! You go to the eye doctor, and you get prescription glasses and now you can read and see like you’re used to. You’ve demolished troubled-eyesight’s ability to take away your vision. Independence at its finest. 

For any doubting that this applies to all, consider this. It’s a winter day with temperatures hovering around freezing, 32 degrees.  I’m guessing you’ll wear warm clothes and footwear, a winter coat of some kind, maybe even a hat and gloves.

Once again, same thing. You’ve accepted that you can’t be safe (or cheery) if you go outside on a winter day in your birthday suit. 

Independence is your ability to manage your life. The more we accept the realities of life, the better able we are to manage them.