If my left shoe could talk about my MS

About once each month, I write an online essay of Exclusive Content for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation’s MS Focus Magazine.

These pieces of personal prose relating to my life with MS are developed to provide readers insights, perspectives and tips to help them move forward and beyond the challenges they’re facing in their lives. I recently took a month to step away from my writing duties and turned them over to my left shoe.

That’s correct. An essay by my left shoe.

“Lefty,” as he calls himself, literally is the one thing that is with me throughout each day more than anything else. Yes, including Jennifer. I mean, she isn’t with me while I’m working fulltime during the workweek. Lefty is.

OK, I hear you. I have two shoes, but here’s the technicality: I put my left shoe on first each morning and take it off last at night. This isn’t out of habit or superstition. No. It’s because of my MS-related weaknesses.

But don’t take my word for it. Take Lefty’s and read the essay – Shoeing away my MS.

Here’s a snippet of what he had to say:

“I instantly figured something was up when Dan opened up our shoebox and instead of first trying on Righty to see how we’d feel, he first tried me on for size. Me! For whatever reason, people usually treat me as an afterthought when they try on shoes. But not with Dan. 

Because of his MS, he is weaker on his left side. That’s why I, Lefty, had the first and final say. He had to make sure I was the best fit first.”

OK, all creative imagination aside, for as personal as many of my essays can be, this one actually made me tear up when I wrote it. I sometimes do when I reread it.

I realize Lefty has no conscience, feelings or memories. But he has a sole that’s been weathered by MS.

 Me too, Lefty. Me too.