I love Cirque du Soleil shows, we have seen several and they are always great fun. This year, for my birthday month, I purchased tickets for their travelling show 6 months in advance to be sure we got to go. It was a wonderful gift to me. I was telling my husband about it when the reality set in. This was going to be a challenge.

First let me say that I don’t like to drive in city traffic and these shows are very popular. Lots of people means lots of cars and parking garages to deal with. We would be in an auditorium setting we have only visited once or twice before, and it has been years. What barriers might exist in getting my husband to his seat? The time frame was not good, the show starts at 1 pm which is in the middle of napping. Added to that is the fact that it is on the first day of daylight-saving time, how would that change in schedule impact us both? The “what if’s” of things that could go wrong kept growing in size until I was on the verge of canceling when common sense and reason finally returned.

We are not the only people dealing with disabilities who attend events at this space. I looked on-line and made a couple of calls to learn about their accommodations. I invited my son and his wife to join us at the show and they happily agreed to drive. I had a conversation with my husband around what our schedule might need to look like on the day of the show and we put a plan in place.

I would like to say that all of this planning alleviated my stress but I would be lying. I was awake the night before the show wondering what could happen and envisioning the worst. I am happy, however, to report that the event went off without a hitch. We found parking within 50 feet of the ADA entrance. We waited there just a few minutes before a wheelchair attendant arrived to take us to our seats. After the show, another person was there to help us back to our car. The afternoon turned out to be so much better than I had expected and we both had a great time.

I regret the time I spent anticipating what could go wrong and am so thankful that I didn’t let my worries overwhelm me. This experience shows me that we can still live life fully if I let go of my protectiveness and anticipation anxiety. Life can go on, it can even be great if I just relax and let it.