I put out to the Universe that I wished to travel to exotic places, and within a couple of weeks a new “Secret” friend invites me to the Dominican Republic with her. I immediately purchased the airline ticket. Two months later it’s flight time and I am running out of funds. I didn’t worry because I knew the Universe would not give me something and then take it away. So instead the Universe funds the trip. I start receiving money from past friends I had forgotten I had loaned money to. Blessing no. 1 and 2.

I am currently in a wheelchair due to MS. Getting through airport security normally stresses me out. Angel was the wheelchair attendant at the first airport of our journey and Jesus is picking us up at Dominican Republic. I feel like the Universe is trying to tell me something. When I start to stress walking through the metal detector with a death grip on the TSA official, she said, “Relax, we’ll dance our way through”. The tears of stress turned to gratitude. Dancing is one of my favorite things. Another sign the Universe is with me on this trip. Blessing no.3.

My first day on the beach a local Dominican Republic man, Mikey, gets me and my chair onto the beach. No small feat, but he accomplishes it with ease. After I have sat in a lounge chair listening to the waves and beautiful water calling me, I give in to them. I pick up my hiking poles and go play with the waves. It didn’t take me long to tire out so I headed up the beach for the lounge chair. I got about half way and ran out of energy. Mikey was there in an instant with his big smiling face and broken English. I apologized for my selfishness in leaving the lounge chair when he says, “No worry. We Dance”. So with the safety of his strong arms, we took one dance step at a time until we made it to the lounge chair. More gratitude tears. Blessing no.4

The Next Day, late in the afternoon, we again went to the beach to retrieve some sea treasures forgotten the previous day. We went much further down the beach strip and I told my friend we should turn around before the sand gets any softer. We do, and 15 feet later the left front wheel falls off the wheelchair. Before I can completely stand up, the local Dominican Republic men have a lawn chair for me to sit on. They quickly realize the nut is missing and the bolt has nothing to keep it in place. The men promptly disassemble everything with a nut they can find, to try and fit the bolt. Their only tool is a pair of needle nosed pliers. They even disassembled a lounge chair they had billed me 100 Pesos for the day before. (And yes I over paid, but the dance was worth it) My friend is retracing our beach tracks, but we had already been everywhere in the city that day. The nut could be anywhere. I told my friend to go enjoy the beach and to retrieve the treasures or to find more. “If I’m not here I’ll have started home without you”. Both of us knowing that even if I had the wheel on I couldn’t make it 10 feet without her pushing me. Mikey was nowhere to be seen, but there wasn’t one single English speaking Dominican Republic local that would pass by me until they were sure I didn’t need their help. Each occurrence brought about the knowledge that I am on an island in the middle of nowhere, a long distance from the road and an even longer distance to our friends Condo. Also without a wheel, my Dominican Republic experience is limited to a gorgeous balcony view, period. I am feeling bad for my new friend – she invited me on this trip because she thought we would have fun, and I just became an anchor.

But I never gave up hope, and the Universe didn’t let me down. As each of the English speaking locals left, I thanked them for their kindness. I also internally thanked the Universe for sending them. A Frenchman who spoke English came wheeling by on his chair. We had a nice chat while we watched the locals try to jury rig a nut that was over-sized with a piece of wire. When that failed the Frenchmen offered his nut from his wheel. He had tons of strength and said he had no problem getting around on two wheels. The nut fit. The nice/wonderful Frenchman merrily left us on two wheels.

What are the odds that another person with a wheelchair would be on that island, on that beach, at that time, that he would offer his left nut, that it would fit, and that he could get along in the sand without a wheel for his wheelchair? Blessing 5,6,7,8,9,& 10.

The Universe provided us with bunches upon bunches of blessings the entire trip. I had more Dances and I strengthened my friend’s belief in the Universe. Day one I asked the Universe, in front of my new friend, to move 2 small wooden rail pieces away from a beautiful old rock wall. A few mornings later my friend calls me to the balcony. I thank the Universe for clearing the debris from my beautiful stone wall, and for all that it does for me constantly.

My entire life is continually filled with blessings, but my favorite and largest blessing is smaller than a dime. The Frenchman’s left wheelchair nut. Life is a wonderful Dance!