Author: Sheri Denkensohn-Trott
What is unconditional love? I’m struggling with the word unconditional. Love, whether it be familial, friend, or with a partner, is true and heartfelt. You must see the person for who they are and deal with them with their flaws and all, but underneath all that love is real. As for the unconditional part, there are levels of willingness to compromise, 
make choices, and evaluate your values. And in the end, you must decide if that unconditional has gone too far. Are you losing yourself? Are you giving up too much? Is it equal?
At times, many of us question unconditional love and how to make it work because you want this person to be in your life. But sometimes it can be kind of like Jekyll and Hyde and things can turn on a dime. This can definitely lead to frustration and I think we all know that frustration will not lead to a happy place. However, dealing with frustration is easier than dealing with unhappiness (for me anyway). To deal with frustration, there 
is deep breathing, meditation, and exercise to name a few of my favorites.
We all experience different levels of this as we go through life. Here’s my view. Through meditation and the tools that I’ve learned, I will stand up for myself. I will try to take a 10,000-ft approach and realize who they are and where they are coming from. I will make the “unconditional” work even when it is hard. I know I won’t regret that. But sometimes it is just heart-wrenching and very difficult. And that’s when you question, evaluate, and decide whether that means you should stay or go. It may be hard, but you come first.
hang out and listen to music with or read comic books. This was before my disability started to become prominent and make those things more difficult (certainly not impossible, but just more difficult!).
not perfect. They understand and make the effort to meet in quiet places if we go out for a meal and/or come over to visit and watch a game. They don’t make it awkward by selecting a restaurant that is super-loud and noisy as many places are these days. It’s truly comforting and helpful.
show it in spoken or unspoken ways. They will accommodate you as you are. You can have a thousand friends and brag about it, but if they don’t stay by your side through thick and thin, the numbers don’t matter. In fact, friendship is not a numbers game; I’d say quality over quantity.
Northeast like me, here it creates significant disruption. The schools closed for days, and the cleanup was lacking. There is plowing on the main roads, but the curb cuts are blocked with snow that becomes slush and ice as they melt. Not especially conducive for rolling around the neighborhood. To top it off, the automatic door on our van had some problems and needed a new part that took time to arrive. As a result, I limited usage until it was fixed. Everything combined made me feel housebound.
individuals with disabilities. I’m trying to make the best of it. I make sure to go outside on a “warmer” day, work on indoor projects, exercise to keep up my endorphins, and enjoy the plant on my desk as a reminder that in the not-so-distant future there will be blooms outside.