MY SUPERHERO

Superheroes don't always wear a cape or leap tall buildings. Sometimes they're in a wheelchair.

Two years ago, my husband's cousin woke up paralyzed with acute onset MS.  The day before, she had been on her horse, galloping through the California canyons.  It's the story of how she's chosen to live her life since that day, however, that's so inspiring.  She is a rare and captivating phenomenon, and a heartfelt delight to all who know her.  That's why I want to introduce you to her.  

I met Emma decades ago, and we were instant (rabble-rousing) buddies.  She's smart, engaging, and has a wonderfully devious sense of humor.  I love telling her that she's the female version of my husband, Duncan, because she says that's the greatest compliment she could ever receive (Clearly, she's never seen Duncan first thing in the morning, before he's shaved, brushed his teeth, and had a cup of tea. It's not always a pretty sight).  

Emma spent two grueling weeks in the hospital following her paralysis.   Then she spent two more.  Plus, she had no family by her side.  Both her parents died years ago, and her only son lives hours away.   Can you imagine?  Waking up one day and not being able to move.  Having your life change completely, and without warning, from one day to the next.  I doubt I'd have the mental or emotional fortitude to bear up under the circumstances.  Self-pity and a sense of defeat would consume most people.  But not Emma.  She told me that, while bedridden in the hospital, she realized that she had an important choice to make:  she could either give in or get on with her life.  And in her mind, it wasn't really a choice.  She ordered a high-tech powered wheelchair, went home, and never looked back.

Yesterday, Emma got married.  At the beginning of the ceremony, the man she's loved for 18 years drew up a chair next to her wheelchair, so they could sit face-to-face when they exchanged their vows.  It wasn't something they'd planned or rehearsed; it was a spontaneous act on his part, and one of the most endearing examples of love I've ever witnessed.  The whole room went silent.  We all knew we were in the presence of greatness.

Greatness, indeed.   Emma told her soon-to-be husband, "I am ecstatic over the steps we are taking together.  They are still steps even if they are taken on wheels."  And a few minutes later, she promised to love him "in sickness and in health."  Then he did the same.  The words had a raw richness that I'd never witnessed before.  This couple had to mean it.  

Emma is the best example I know of someone who's decided, against all odds, to live purposefully and with deliberate joy.  Each day, she embraces the ordinary moments that make life extraordinary.  She is my superhero, with an invisible cape.