I would like to thank Larry Yoke for his comments on a post from earlier this week. His comment on The Story Comes To An End really made me stop and think. But first, below is his comment.
“This is an amazing story about an amazing woman! As a writer, I know the diligence and effort that goes into completing a manuscript let alone the rest of the processes before pushing the publish button. For one to finish a novel as she was dying is nothing short of superhuman that the Marvel gang would love to have on their team. I applaud the Dream Catchers for taking on her wishes and making her dream come to fruition. I wished I had met this fine lady–perhaps I still can by reading her legacy–Massai. We all leave a bit of ourselves hidden within the pages.”
In the short time that I knew Sue, I was impressed with her kind heart and her positive attitude. But I never really thought about her amazing feat of completing a book while battling cancer. But as soon as I read Larry’s comment, I could picture her clearly in full superhero attire! And then my mind began to wander to other people I have known who definitely fit those same criteria, but also never got the recognition that they so deserved.
What this all leads me to was an image of a great many Senior Super Hero’s, whom I have been fortunate enough to know in my life. Some were battling what most others would call debilitating illnesses, but to them, it was just the way they lived each day. And others were fighting a variety of smaller skirmishes, all of which were just supposed to be chalked up to the trials of old age. But the one common thread that I found in each of these people was the absolute refusal to give up, no matter what. There was no feeling sorry for one’s self, and no hating the world for the hand that they had been dealt. In fact, they were all quite the opposite. The common theme when asked how they could be so upbeat was that they were all certain that there were many people who were far worse off than they were. Maybe those types of thoughts and that character are from a time long ago, but regardless, I think that it is an example that we need to pass on to future generations.
As a society, we seem to have lost sight of a few important lessons. Respect for our elders is something that I see very little of today. And it saddens me. The older generation has some much knowledge and so many skills that should be shared with the future generations, but we seem to push these folks away and ignore all that they have to offer. But Sue was not going to sit quietly and wait for her time to come. And with the help of some very special young people, she did something amazing and made her dream come true.
I have now promised myself that I will follow Sue’s example and continue to reach for my dreams and work toward my dreams. She is proof that dreams can come true at any age, as long as you never quit trying to reach them! And when I think of her, I will now see her in my mind in her Super Hero cape, and with a very satisfied smile on her face.
Once again, thank you, Larry, for helping me to see the superhero that Marvel missed out on!
I will try this again. It blocked me before as a suspected bot. A very wordy bot, I must say. 🙂
“As a society, we seem to have lost sight of a few important lessons. Respect for our elders is something that I see very little of today.” This is often true in our society, but I don’t think it has been lost in Asian society where the elderly are revered and treated with respect. It’s funny, but even when I was a child, I gravitated towards older people. I had friends my own age and some younger, but my comfort zone seemed to be with older people. I remember going to sit on the porch with an elderly couple a couple of doors from us. It has often been the same as I grew older. I suppose in part that was because my father was 40 and my mother 33 when I was born. Many of their friends were their age and older, so these were the people I knew. Some of my father’s siblings were quite a few years older than him and his parents were nearly 90 when they died and I was about 16. I think it is a shame when the younger generation separates themselves from the elderly. There is so much to learn from the generation we and our elders come from. I am glad you chose to expand on Larry’s comment.