How often we all groan and moan about doing some of the mundane and day to day tasks that face us. Must clean the car, must do the washing, windows need cleaning, fridge needs replenishing and so it goes on.

Our mind and body urges us to do something more interesting and pleasurable but duty calls. This thought came to mind when I read an account about a disabled woman and her relationship with her dishwasher. Before she became disabled, like most of us with dishwashers, she hated unloading it and used to dream of having two.

Now, unloading the dishwasher is one of the few tasks she is able to do and even that is not entirely successful. But she is grateful that she is able to do this as it makes her feel she is contributing to family life. Who would have thought that the unloading of a dishwasher would make anyone happy?

Now I can tell you that unloading a dishwasher from a wheelchair is not easy especially if your hands are weak. Suddenly a precious glass slips through your fingers on to floor. Now what to do? Will you have to stand guard in case some unwary person walks across the splinters with bare feet? Wielding a dustpan and brush from a wheelchair needs the skill of a contortionist so that is definitely out. How long must you wait until help arrives? Now think about unloading the washing machine.

At least clothes won’t break so that is a plus you think as you pull clothes out from the machine and put them in the basket. But those weak hands again let you down as your husband’s white shirt wipes the floor leaving a grey smear right down the front. Surely someone washed the floor yesterday? In the past this was a job you hated but now the longing to do it rises up inside.

The frustrations and feelings of worthlessness weigh heavily on most disabled people. Simple tasks that are taken for granted and a target for fierce grumbling are difficult for disabled people but they would love to do them. A dream maybe but what joy there is in achieving even the simplest of tasks. Now don’t get me wrong, I have a great regard for those people who offer help when it is needed and our independence would go down the drain without them but managing tasks gives a great boost to the morale.

There are a lot of clever people about who have invented many ways of helping people to keep their independence and thank goodness they are there. If they are reading this how about ways to tackle the problems I have raised? Maybe there isn’t a solution and we must laugh at our inadequacies. Certainly laughter is a good tonic.