There is so much we can learn from Madison and Molly. One of the things I have learned is to greet each day with a smile, to appreciate each day we have. Some people dread waking up because maybe they didn’t get enough sleep, they’re tired, or they dread the toils of the day that lie ahead of them.
No matter how they slept, if they were up through the night, if they went to bed late, or if they have to get up early to go to school, Madison and Molly always manage to crack a big smile when they first wake up. Almost as if they are surprised that they are still around another day. If only all of us shared this same appreciation of each and every day, of each and every moment.
Looking back on your life sometimes its hard to determine exactly what point your life things change. Was there one defining moment that sent you on the path that brought you to this very moment today? Or were there a string of less distinct events that lead you down your current path?
For me this moment was very clear. It was the 24th day of May in the year 2000. I was out crusing around the eastern part of Cincinnati, still breaking in my 2000 Honda RC51. I pulled into the parking lot of BW-3 on Beechmont avenue to take a rest and decide if I should make one last pass around town before turning in for the evening. At the time it seemed like an insignificant decision but who knew it would change the rest of my life. I must have heard a whisper from God that night as I decided to make one last pass down Columbia parkway and then back along Eastern avenue.
During the final part of my ride that evening, I locked up my rear wheel of my RC51, sending me skidding across into the gravely asphalt of Eastern avenue into the oncoming lane of traffic. The ambulance came and went, leaving me with the aftermath of a few thousands of dollars of damage to the RC51 and some moderate road rash for me.
I was lucky that there wasn’t a car coming the other way. I was lucky that the only damage I received to me was a pair of ripped jeans and some moderate road rash to my arm and legs. But there is something I never anticipated but I will always be grateful for. This accident led my life down the path upon which I met my future wife, my best friend, my soulmate, Jennifer Cooper, as she worked at Urgent Care and helped tend to my road rash. It brought into my life, my two daughters, Madison and Molly, who I profess are God’s angels in our very midst. It brought into my life most recently, my son Brody. All of which would not have happened if God had not whispered to me that night in May of 2000 and tell me his work wasn’t yet complete that night.
Now that I think about it, I don’t see how I could ever claim this was an accident. I think it was a miracle! How could something so amazing, so life changing, grow from a moment that seemed so insignificant at the time. Only through God’s power and love.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Madison of all time. It captures the amazing spirit that she embodies. Despite the difficulties she faces with her disease, with illnesses she has battled, with the physical limitations she works at overcoming, she always manages to crack a smile. In this particular case, we took her to the hospital after a really bad seizure, after many hours in the ER, she was admitted and she contracted pneumonia. As a result she had to stay at the hospital a couple more days. This picture was taken during that stay. She is amazing and an inspiration to me.
