Tragic Lives As Spiritual Inspiration
Spirituality is a widely used term that starts from the emotional going to the inspirational and ends in the bizarre. The subject of spiritual inspiration is easier describable as it can be a situation, life, person or object that creates a strong emotion within you.
When a Superman finds himself at the mercy of his own limitations, almost each word he says, each act he does, turns to become a spiritual inspirational moment.
The accident
It was May 1995 as a young handsome man was lining his horse up for the easiest jump of the 15 obstacle course. Everything was in place. The training, the protective gear and the moment. Three foot between failure and success suddenly switched on a self doubt thought in the horse and it stopped unexpectedly. The rider was already stabilizing him for the jump and his body continued under its own propulsion once the horse stopped. As the distress signal from the brain to the muscles kicked in, the hands tried to free itself to lessen the impact. But the hands got caught up in the reins and the rider pitched forward landing on his head with a sickening force.
The Personality
In any event a rider laying unconscious, unable to breath would be an emergency. When that person woke up on the forth day, surrounded with medical equipment, realizing he could not breath without mechanical help, it would be traumatic. Realizing his neck broke so close to the base of the skull that talking was impossible and that he had contracted pneumonia is shocking. When your name is Christopher Reeve it is ironic. Instead of some villain, your favorite animal brought you down.
The Recovery
Christopher went through many emotions but refused to stay discouraged. As long as he had money and oxygen there was a chance my sister in Christ of medical wonders. In fact the letters he received told him of remarkable recoveries. And his initial attitude made it possible that he could sustain himself for around 90 minutes at a time breathing on his won.
The Reality
Despite his brave attitude he had his down times. This realization that walking would only be in his dreams, asked for a different approach. Christopher admitted he needed 20 minutes to cry in the morning. The time allowed him to wake up from the long dream walk with his son and family. Then a shift was needed to accept the truth and to overcome the feeling of the great loss.
The Solution
After his moment of self pity he would comfort those around him by whispering what was more than profound words: And Now Forward.
It is a given fact that a positive attitude will make life easier but with it comes the time that one needs to face the reality. A paraplegic wrote to Christopher telling him that everybody visits and tells you things will get better. Her advice was: It will not, but you have to accept your situation. Only that will leave room for hopeful improvement, but giving a stability of acceptance.