Last night, I realized that my mother's birthday is approaching, with the anniversary of her death a mere day behind. In about an hour's time, I relived her death, preceded by my Dad's. And I felt mournful. I felt sad. And I felt sorry for myself.
According to Kathy Lewis, president of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, Will is now, "In the loving arms of family and friends." The Reeve's closest friends celebrated Dana's life Tuesday. Best friends Robin Williams and his wife Marsha said, "The brightest light has gone out. We will forever celebrate her loving spirit."
In my (ripe) middle age, of all the many friends I treasure, I only have two that have experienced the loss of their parents. The surrounding feelings are incomprehensible, until they are your own, even at this age.
I was only a block away from work when, breaking into his diatribe on moral issues, the radio host announced that yesterday, Dana Reeve lost her own life to lung cancer.
My thoughts immediately went to Dana's son, Will. And I pulled over into a parking lot. I had to think. I had to process. My own experience was too fresh on my mind.
Christopher died in 2004 after his long battle with paralysis. She also lost her mother to cancer just months before her own cancer diagnosis.
Dana and Christopher's 13-year-old son, Will, was only 3 when his father was paralyzed. Now the young teenager will have to face life without either parent. Dana spoke of Will's resilience in the face of his father's death.
"One of the greatest gifts we could give our children are the tools to face life's inevitable adversity," Dana said. "He's an incredibly upbeat kid."
No comments:
Post a Comment