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 Posted Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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Group: Administrators
Last Login: Friday, February 11, 2011
Posts: 28,
Visits: 121
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I had the wonderful opportunity to watch Jesse's Story today. It's a documentary about Jesse Billauer, founder of Life Rolls On.
In watching the movie, there's a section where Jesse and Christopher meet. I realized as I was watching, that was the first time I ever saw actual footage of Christopher post injury. Everyday I am reminded in pictures and photos of Christopher what the Reeve Foundation stands for, but seeing him in video was certainly something else all together.
At one point, Jesse looked at Christopher and said, "Life rolls on, right." Christopher's response was simply, "Life rolls on." It wasn't Christopher's words that spoke so profoundly, it was his genuine smile as he said it.
Despite being immobile, Christopher's smile spoke a language the rest of his body couldn't.
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| Posted Wednesday, August 18, 2010 |
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Group: Administrators
Last Login: Friday, February 11, 2011
Posts: 28,
Visits: 121
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Last night I was reading Care Packages, the book Dana Reeve put together of just some of the thoughtful notes and letters that were sent to Christopher and the family after his injury. I literally could not put the book down.
In reading Care Packages, Dana recalled a time not long after Christopher's injury when their son Will (just three-years-old at the time) had the following conversation with Dana:
"Mommy," Will said between bites of sherbet, "Daddy can't run around anymore."
"No," I replied. "Daddy can't run around anymore."
"And Daddy can't move his arms."
"No, he can't move his arms."
"And he can't talk."
"No. That's right-- he isn't able to talk right now."
Will paused, sucked on the flat wooden spoon, his face puckered in concentration. And then, suddenly, brightly: "But he can still smile!"
Ironically, just last week I had wrote: Despite being immobile, Christopher's smile spoke a language the rest of his body couldn't.
Whether to a complete stranger, or to a dear family member, Christopher's smile really did say what he believed all along... Nothing is impossible.
This even reminds me a little bit of our summer-long search to name the 2010 Best Dad on Wheels. We've been asking for you to tell us about a father you know who is living with paralysis and the impact he has made, proving there are no such thing as limits, giving devoted love, simply being an amazing dad.
I'm thinking are a great deal of very special dads out there who mean the world to the people around them simply by smiling.
Smile.
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