I've Learned to Be Thankful for My Wheelchair, and I Decided to Teach Others to Say Thank You

"The wheelchair has been my best friend since I was nine," shares Tair Lev Michlin as she describes what led her to be in a wheelchair, despite possibly having the physical capability to stand.

Her medical history began in childhood, as she was born with cerebral palsy and has faced physical limitations ever since. "I didn't grow up in a religious family," she notes, "but my mother always told me that anything I wanted, I could receive from Hashem, and I just needed to ask because He is up there listening to me. My father also always supported me and encouraged me, and that's how my initial connection with the Master of the Universe was formed."

Birthday Gift: A Wheelchair

Tair Lev points out that it was not easy for her mother to cope with the fact that her daughter had a disability and struggled to walk. "My mom was a well-known athlete and even introduced aerobic dance to the country. It was a significant crisis for her to realize that not only couldn't I dance or exercise, but it would also be difficult for me to walk. My mom tried everything to teach me to walk like a regular person, or at most, with crutches, and I understand her. Who doesn't want a healthy child?"

When Tair Lev was nine, she underwent a very complex surgery to improve her condition, requiring a long and painful recovery period. "I remember myself after the surgery, thinking that if I had to go through such surgery again, I wouldn't survive it. The operation and the recovery were so painful and challenging; they required me to be in casts for two months, which greatly limited and hurt me. On one of the toughest days, when I felt I could no longer cope with the pain, I found myself talking to my Father in heaven and asking Him sincerely: 'What do you want from me? Did you bring me into the world to be someone I'm not, or do you want me to be in a state of disability, but happy?'. The answer was entirely clear to me, and the next day I initiated a conversation with my parents and told them I wanted a wheelchair for my birthday. I explained that I was tired of chasing who I'm not and couldn't bear the burden of treatments and physiotherapy exercises any longer. I don't want a life of pain, but rather a comfortable life, even if it costs me a wheelchair."

How did your parents react?

"I think they were quite shocked by these words because, after all, I was just a little girl, but they probably saw, like me, what I was going through at that time and realized that such a step was necessary. My dad accepted my request immediately; it was harder for my mom, but eventually, I got a wheelchair, and from that moment, I felt like I received my life as a gift."

Looking back, do you think it was the right step?

"I'm sure it was, and I'm grateful it happened. More than that, I think if someone took my wheelchair today, I would be truly disabled because I can't manage without it. The chair is part of me, a gift I received from Hashem. Today, I work as a special education teacher, and I often talk with my students about how we need to learn to accept reality and our struggles and love ourselves as we are because difficulty is part of everyone's life and is meant to connect our soul to ourselves and our strengths."

A Gratitude Project

As mentioned, Tair Lev did not grow up with religious values, but in her childhood, she was sent to a religious school and eventually decided it was not enough for her, expressing her willingness to transfer to a girls' academy, where she grew and developed.

"During my years in public school, I felt it was very difficult for my friends and teachers to accept me," she shares, "but things completely changed after moving to the academy. Thanks to the inspiring and fascinating Judaic studies we had there, I came to an important understanding of life - Hashem doesn't give a person difficulty for no reason; it is so we have the opportunity to connect with Him. The struggle serves as a connecting thread between us and Hashem. It's evident that it's easier for someone dealing with difficulty to talk to Hashem because they realize He's a loving Father who can give everything. This understanding strengthened me greatly and continued to bring me closer to my Father in heaven."

But Tair Lev felt the closest connection to the Creator in the past year, thanks to a special project she initiated called "Psalm of Thanks for Changing Awareness." "It all started a year ago when my grandmother, with whom I have a very close relationship, was in a significant medical crisis, and we feared for her life," she recounts. "I felt I had to do something big for her recovery and decided to form a group of people who take upon themselves to recite the 'Psalm of Thanks' once a day for 40 consecutive days. I shared my personal story in the group and suggested that each of us read the psalm daily and then speak with our Father in heaven, telling Him personally about a specific salvation they wish immensely to be fulfilled. Every day, I send a reminder to read the psalm along with words of encouragement I write from the heart, many based on the inspiration I receive from Rabbi Yigal Cohen, who I am very connected to, and he taught me to love life and be thankful for them.

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"I write a lot of encouragements about self-love and love for Hashem and also share many personal experiences I have in my life in the shadow of disability, and how I try to be thankful for them. For example, I shared an incident when I was wheeling around in the mall, and a woman next to me said to her husband: 'I'm out of strength, my legs are gone.' At the first moment, I struggled with that statement, but in the next moment, I took a deep breath and thought to myself that this woman has legs for walking, whereas I was born to rest. I just have to be thankful that my legs don't hurt. In another instance, I got COVID, and I posted about feeling what it's finally like to be a warm person. There was also a post I wrote after being stuck on the first floor of the building with a broken elevator, having to wait a long hour for help to come. I shared about trying to understand what Hashem wanted from me, and immediately I recited a 'Psalm of Thanks', seeing the positive sides of the story - I have a chair to sit on and wait for the elevator, I have a bottle of water so I'm not thirsty, and soon everything will be okay, and I'll be home. I continue to post more empowering experiences to create an atmosphere of strengthening and elevation. At the end of each cycle, I craft a long post with all the salvations people have experienced during this daily virtue, to increase faith and love in the world."

A Chain of Salvations

What are some stories of salvation experienced in your group?

"We had a woman in the group in her forties who had been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for many years, and after participating in three cycles of 'Psalm of Thanks', she, *Baruch Hashem*, became pregnant. Another woman eagerly awaited a marriage proposal that came precisely on the day we completed our 40th reading of 'Psalm of Thanks.' There are many other very moving stories, but personally, my most touching story is about my grandmother. After praying for her for two full cycles, I saw her return home from the hospital at age 94, resuming full function, *Baruch Hashem*, just as she had before. This was after the doctors had already prepared us for her loss. I'm sharing these stories with tears of joy because the salvations appear one after another; Hashem truly hears and listens to us. Let's talk to Him and thank Him."

How many members are in the group you manage?

"Last week, we started the tenth cycle of the year in a group with 867 members. They come from all corners and backgrounds, some are more affiliated with religion, and some are more distant, but all feel the need to thank Hashem every day, understanding that He loves us just as He created us, wants to give us the best, and will do so. We just need to ask."

Tair Lev invites anyone interested to join her WhatsApp group at 0507740210, to read 'Psalm of Thanks', and learn to express gratitude.