It’s been 2 years since the pandemic began. We’re still adjusting for ways to be safe and have fun. Once I realized that COVID-19 wasn’t going away any time soon, I started to get creative. Here are some ideas of how you can show your family and friends how much you care about them on birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and baby showers.
Birthday Celebrations
If you are a friend of mine, you may have seen me decorating your yard with giant size decorations, balloons and streamers. This never would have been possible without iLevel. I can elevate my Quantum Power Chair up to 12 inches to help me decorate. I usually wait until sunset and then me and my power wheelchair “bumblebee” pop up at your location! Just like a genie in a bottle, I appear to come and celebrate YOU.
Decorative Wreaths and Virtual Parties
For the holidays, I created special wreaths for Superbowl events, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you had a vision, I could deliver it with the help of iLevel. As time went on, I orchestrated Zoom and Microsoft Team calls and hosted virtual parties for all occasions. I think the best parties were those without a holiday attached. We just came together to have fun.
Virtual Fashion Shows
Recently, a friend reached out to me upset that her venue for her fashion show had been shut down due to COVID-19. I created online invites and put together an itinerary fit for a king and queen. As the MC for the event, I dressed in a ballgown, and elevated my power wheelchair at iLevel, showing everyone how to model their outfits on Zoom. I worked the runway elevated 12 inches by maneuvering my wheelchair as if I was on an actual runway in Milan. Plus, I had an online DJ to hype the guests up and keep everyone engaged. Meals were delivered to all guests, courtesy of Uber Eats and Door Dash. In addition to the meal, everyone received a gift basket with international chocolates, professional manicure kits and an Eiffel Tower Snow Globe. After two hours of modeling, laughing, and discussing how we plan to do it again in 2022, everyone can tell you that a Zoom fashion show is the best idea!
Movies and Snacks in the Backyard
If you are not fond of doing virtual events, you can still have fun by traveling to limited places. I have planned “evening strolls to nowhere.” Sometimes, the kiddos and I go out in the neighborhood to pick fruit, check out walking trails and order dessert to go. We return home and go into the yard to watch a movie on a projector screen while eating the best snacks ever. The pandemic has taught me that everyone can stretch their imagination and think outside the box. I have learned that with a little creativity and some improvising, I can pull off most events by myself with iLevel technology.
Celebrating Anniversaries
When it came to my husband and our anniversary, I created a playlist of our favorite songs and hired a caterer to deliver the food. I set up a scavenger hunt in the house and outside in the neighborhood. I challenged him to find 10 gifts that had special meaning and represented the years we have been a couple.
We’re not stopping there. The show must go on. To show some love to other wheelchair users, I sent an invite to about 30 of my friends that are all wheelchair users for a gathering. We’re going to “pimp our ride” and decorate our wheelchairs in a little friendly competition with a theme chosen by each wheelchair user. I can’t wait to pull this event off in the Spring. More to come, so stay tuned!
About Merlisha Henderson: Merlisha uses an Edge 3 Power Wheelchair for mobility and lives in Arizona with her family. As a wife, mother and disability advocate in her community, she stays active and independent, working toward bringing equality and access to all. Click here to learn more about Merlisha.
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