The winter sun cast a dim glow down from the evening sky upon the land, as a light mist roll in like a soft silk cloak

a gentle breeze wandered its merry little way through the branches of the trees overhead and rustled the leafs in a flowing dance and at times, a graceful descent down to the ground far below.

the earth was wrapped in the arms of winter and a chill would fill the air at night and bring with it, the icy coating of frost in the morning, causing frozen fingers and mutters of dismay as warm feet would touch cold floors.

this was the season of natures sleep time, resting before the immense season of growth soon to follow as spring would peek its loving gaze over the horizon.

in the seat by the park stream, sat a lone figure, a man of about 30, with brown hair and a sad look upon his face, clutching in his trembling rings, a silver ring with a brilliant blue sapphire embedded in its grasp.

for 3 years he and the love of his life had walked through this park hand in hand, laughing and smiling together, finding delight in the simple little joys of living, talking about dreams of love and marriage and sharing a life together with each other.

for john and cath, life was so easy and free, things were so good and they had all that they sought in life and as far as they were concerned, there was nothing that they could never wish for.

in johns hand was the ring that he had planned to place upon caths finger as he asked her to do him the honour of becoming his wife and life long partner, to share each others lives together, and now all that had changed, cos of one simple accident.

cath sang happily away with the music playing on the radio in the car as she drove down the road from the supermarket, bags of groceries lay in the back, for cath had been shopping for tonights celebration dinner in honour of johns promotion at his job, he was now the assistant sales manger of the company, and he was so happy that all the work he had put into his work had paid off.

he was so happy when john had rang her that morning from work to share with cath the good news about the promotion.

humming along with a love song on the radio, she stopped at the intersection and checked for the on coming traffic, seeing nothing, she drove forward and bang

it took the emergency crew 3 hours to cut her from the wreckage of the car, still alive but merciful unconscious, and straight into surgery when the ambulance made it to the hospital.

a marathon 8 hour operation saved her life and gave her hope for living.

the driver of the other car was charged with dangerous driving and driving with a access blood alcohol level.

so many people had done so much to help out and try and put things back to normal again, but it is not possible.

cath would never walk again, according to the doctors, they said the impact of the other car into her car and severely damaged caths spine and she would never regain the use of her legs.

7 months had past now and still john could not bring himself to hug cath, or to give her a kiss, sure he loved cath very much but this was not cath, this was a person in a wheelchair who could not walk through the park with john or go on the swings or go dancing any more with him.

now, he sat on the seat in the park by the river and held the engagement ring that he was going to place upon caths finger before the accident and tears formed in his brown eyes as he thought of all the good times that they had shared together.

well this is it john thought to himself, i can’t spent the rest of my life with a cripple, he drew back his arm and threw the ring far out into the middle of the stream, turned and started to walk away.

john had taken about 10 steps when he heard a polite cough behind him and a quiet voice say, excuse, but i think you have lost something very special.

john turned around the see a tall stranger in what looked to be a monk faded and worn cloak, with a carved staff in one hand and in the other was the ring that john had just threw away.

john took one look at the ring and shook his head, sorry but that is not mine, i have not lost it, sorry,

the stranger smiled and said true, you have not lost the ring, you have lost the love and caring that you felt when you brought the ring for the one that you love.

silent filled the air as john struggled for a answer to reply to the strangers words.

his mouth opened and shut about 3 times but no words formed,

the stranger just nodded in silence as john stood there in front of him, look as lost as a child in a strange park.

john, the stranger spoke again, the difference between summer and winter is that we lose the warmth of the sun and the leaves fall and it gets cold, but we are still alive to look forward to the next summer to come to us and life is like that, we have the summer of the good times and the winter of the bad, but we can always look forward to the summer of the good times again.

john stood for a moment and then replied, well my summer is gone and my life is just one long winter now, i have nothing there anymore.

the stranger nodded and replied, my name is poet and i am going to listen to you and hear what you have to say and all i ask is that i am allowed the chance to say a few simple words in return.

this simple request was so innocent that john saw no reason to decline and they both turned and went back to the park seat, and sat down again, where john started to open up and talk to poet about the accident and his feelings and how he was having trouble with cath now that she was a paraplegic.

john told about how he felt differently now, that cath was a different person and things had changed between them and the love had died now, john had lost the feelings that he had once shared with cath and it was so hard on him to share his life with a cripple.

all through this poet just stood and nodded and once in a while said, ok as john vent ed all his feelings and thoughts about his life with cath and why things had gone downhill so much and why they had split up.

poet, waited til john had finished and then sat there for a few moments before he started to speak.

john, what is the name of the lady before the accident, during the accident and after the accident

is her name still cath or has she changed her name to something else?

that only thing that has changed about her is the way that you see cath, cath is still cath.

the fact that, at this stage, she is not walking, doesn’t change who cath is, she is still cath, she has feelings and love and needs you to be you, to be the john she loves.

when cath was a baby, her parents loved her, even when she could not walk and now many years later, when she can’t walk, they still love her, why,?? cos she is still cath

they can see a daughter, not a person in a wheelchair, not a cripple and certainly not a invalid.

john truly, how do you see cath?

john sat for a minute silently and thought, she can’t walk in the park with me and dance with me, cath is a cripple.

even though john didn’t say the words out loud, poet still nodded and said yes, you see cath as a cripple.

cath can’t walk with you in the park cos you don’t push a wheelchair, cath can’t dance with you cos you don’t help her spin the wheelchair.

all you are seeing is a small part of life with cath, not the full picture of the miracle of love and caring.

when you sit and eat your dinner, you see the other person, and not the fact that they are sitting in a chair, you can sit a watch t,v and not see the chair.

john could take this no longer and swore loudly at poet, just what the **** do you know, what the **** gives you the right to believe that you are right and i am wrong, when have you ever had sex with a cripple in a bed, a cripple that can;t have your kids, a cripple that is not even a person.

poet looked john right in the eyes and spoke slow and clearly, john when have you ever slept with cath after the accident.

john stopped as he was about to let strip with another mouthful

of swear words.

john, it is not about having sex, but about the warmth of your body hugging her and your arms holding her close in love, you do not know about sex cos you will not touch her, you do not know about having kids cos you will not talk to her, you will not do this cos you see a cripple and you do not see cath.

tears were forming in johns eyes as he faced the truth of poets words

I love cath a lot, but i am scared that she is not able to love me back and share things with me like we were able to, poet, i am scared that

cath can’t help me feel good about things and to enjoy the things the we would share together.

poet reached out and took johns hand and placed the ring back in his hand, john, it is easy to see part of the picture and lost the beauty of the whole scene.

cath is in a wheelchair part of the time, cos she needs it, but cath is in need of your love and support all of the time, you are one of the things in her life that are helping her to not give up.

a partner in a relationship is more than a partner, they are also your best friend, cath supported you as you worked your way up through the company and got to where you are now, as a partner and a best friend.

are you such a partner and a best friend that you can help cath raise up to the challenge of taking a step at a time, one foot in front of the other, learning to walk forward again?

cath may be in a wheelchair but she is still a person, she kisses the same and loves the same, do you really want to throw that love and caring away cos you see a wheelchair, john?

john was drifting away in a cloud of thoughts and he slowly got up from the seat in the park and started to walk away back home, after a few steps, he turned and looked back to see a empty park bench and no sign of the poet.

john turned again and starting walking again but this time, he had a new direction to go, for caths house lay in the opposite direction to his house and he had a ring with her name on it.

cath leaned on the walking stick for support and linked her arm in that of her fathers and took a deep breath and exhaled, caths father looked proudly and his daughter and said, ok you are ok with this, you can walk ok?

cath nodded, yes dad, i can do it but can you please help me a bit

i am still not too good at this.

a few deep breaths later and caths father gave the doors a shove, watching as they opened up and reveal the inside of the building, cath, with her father supporting her, took the first step forward and the sound of music filled the air as cath began the walk down the aisle to where john waited by the altar as he watched cath come closer, looking awesome in her wedding dress and walking proudly with her father.

john sat on the edge of the porch smiling at his grandchildren and said, yeah 50 years we have been married now, thanks to the stranger called poet, who taught me that that way we see others can be tunnel visioned and that we can lose greatly, cos we don’t see the true love of people

i almost lost your grandma cath cos i seen something that didn’t matter and didn’t see what did matter, that fact that me and your grandma love each other.

he looked up for a quick minute and far in the distance, for a brief moment, saw a tall cloaked figure with a staff and simple words walking alone amongst the autumn leaves that lay on the ground

john blinked and the figure was gone, john smiled and silently bade thanks for a chance to regain his lost love