In The Face Of

The other day I was driving down the freeway and saw a billboard that I have seen a few times before. It was a picture of Erik Weihenmayer with the caption "Climbed Everest Blind." Being the emotional creature I am, I got all teary and moved.

I am a sucker for triumphs of the human spirit. This is why I totally dig watching dancers with missing limbs and twisted bodies and Team Hoyt. Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack and continued to surf. Helen Keller overcame her mind blowing limitations to become an amazing writer and teacher. We honor Christopher Reeves and Michael J. Fox and Stephen Hawking. It isn't hard to find examples of people that overcome incredible odds by saying, "The hell I can't."

But what about the rest of us? What about those of us that have full use of all our limbs? What about those of us that have functioning bodies with all five senses intact? For us it's just dancing and climbing and running right? Yes we push ourselves to do great things, and oftentimes succeed, but don't really have billboards erected in our honor.

But, what if we could look into the human spirit and catch a glimpse of the hidden miracles that are possible? Every single person on this planet has been injured and crippled in some small, or enormous, way.

How many of us have lost limbs of love and faith and trust? How many of us have been crippled by abuse and betrayal? How many of us have had our minds and hearts mangled nearly beyond recognition and have chosen to overcome and heal and live a full emotional life anyway?

Is having your heart broken by betrayal or your spirit crushed by abuse and then making the conscious choice to continue to love and to be truly alive in the face of that experience any less wondrous than climbing a mountain blind? I don't believe so.

What if we could take a look at our greatest emotional handicaps, our deepest wounds and fears, and choose to act in the face of them anyway? What if we could dig that deep and look with that much courage and overcome with that much determination? What if the world could see the ways in which our hearts and minds have said, "The hell I can't."

What if the world was covered with billboards of everyday human beings that said "Heart was broken. Loved anyway." "Was betrayed. Trusted anyway." "Body and mind were abused. Lived with courage anyway." "Faith was destroyed. Believed anyway."

To me, those reminders of the power of the human spirit would be no less remarkable and moving than the others. Maybe even more so.

Take some time to look inside and make a choice to act in the face of your limitations. Ask yourself, "What will my billboard say?"

See it. And then do it.

I promise you there will be cheering.

Remembering Love

Yesterday afternoon I attended the wedding of a good friend that I grew up with. Jared is the little brother of Jennie - with whom I have been head over heels ever since 1973 when we stared at one another from behind our parents legs as they registered us for Kindergarten.

Their family is very Scottish - thus I also grew up around bagpipes (which I cannot tell you how much I love) and the Highland Fling which was proudly flung on many jaunty occasions. It was a gorgeous wedding and, yes, the groom and his groomsmen were decked out in their finest, and sexiest, kilted attire. I gave Jared a hug and offered my congratulations and usual smart ass comment about marriage - "Better you than me..." or something like that.

Then the wedding began. He walked down the aisle followed by the parents, the bridesmaids and groomsmen, the toddling flowers girls and the beaming little ring bearer. Then the music changed and we all stood as the bride and her father entered the chapel from outside, silhouetted at first and then in full view of everyone - including, for the first time that day, the groom.

Everyone made the usual whispered ooo's and ahh's about her dress and up-do but I couldn't take my eyes off of Jared. I was riveted to, and completely thrown by, the expression on his face. It was a mixture of surprise, gratitude, awe, desire, humility and reverence. It was the best freaking thing I have seen in a very, very long time. It was not rehearsed nor was it forced or contrived. It was spontaneous and emotional and beautiful. It was like looking at the face of someone seeing God for the first time. It was like looking directly at the face of Love.

I watched as they looked into one another's eyes and each held the hand of her beautiful, little daughter. I watched them exchange rings and I caught my breath as my friend knelt and gently placed a necklace around the neck of his new daughter - whom he also vowed to love and protect and live for. And I couldn't help wondering, for the thousandth time, what that would be like.

And I thought of Hugo's quote, "To love another person is to see the face of God." And I remembered, even if just for a moment, why people still get married.

Stunning

This is from a dance competition in China.

The woman, a trained dancer since childhood, “lost her right arm in an accident and lived the next several years in a state of deep depression. When asked to coach a dance group for children she was reminded of her love of dancing and began to attempt some of her old dance routines. The loss of her arm affected her balance and it was difficult to turn without falling.

Then she heard of a man that had lost his leg in an accident who had also fallen into depression. She found him and attempted to persuade him to dance with her. He had never danced and to ‘dance with one leg .... are you joking with me? No way!’ But, she didn't give up, and he reluctantly agreed thinking, ‘I have nothing else to do anyway.’

She started to teach him dancing 101. The two broke up a few times because he had no concept of using muscle, how to control his body, and knew none of the basic things about dancing. When she became frustrated and lost patience with him, he would walk out.

Eventually, they came back together and started training seriously. They hired a choreographer to design routines for them. In the competition, as you will see, they dance beautifully and they legitimately won the competition.”

Still My Absolute Favorite

Whirlwind trip to Yellowstone, picking up son from camp, getting both kids ready to start school, fund raising, shooting pick ups for documentary, preparing to speak at Affirmation, book manuscripts and proposals to agents and publishers...

Thank GOD for giggle breaks.

As long as there is breath in my body, this video will never get old. Ever.

White on Rice Screening

Okay, all you Utah dwellers, at the Salt Lake City Film Festival tonight there is a screening of an absolutely delightful film called White on Rice.[Tower theater, 9:30PM]

If you are at all able, GO SEE IT.

White on Rice was produced by my Facing East co-producer / partner in crime, Duane Andersen and is basically Mr. Bean and Napoleon Dynamite thrown in a very charming blender with a whole bunch of Sushi.

Did I already say, go see it? Yeah, I did. Go see it. You'll be oh-so-happy you did.

Check out the trailer below...

White on Rice Trailer

I Can See Clearly Now

Yesterday I had a long overdue eye exam. As I entered the office, that resembled a relaxing day spa, the doctor smiled and embraced me - a nice way to start, I thought. Once my chin was in place and my face was secured to the machine the witty banter started. A puff of air, charts read, contacts tried on, the touch of a hand, laughter, flirting and his deep gazing into my eyes... One thing led to another and we found ourselves having Sushi at a local restaurant. Who says there's no such thing as love at first sight?

Okay that's a bunch of crap.

I was at Wal-Mart. In West Valley. Of course the doctor gave me a hug - it was Rick. He's known me since I was a teenager. Of course we laughed - we are good friends and I am a dork. There was no flirting - he is married. I made that part up. Of course he touched my hand - I had the freaking contact inside out. And the gazing into my eyes? Yeah, that's his job. Although it was more a focused and studied stare than an actual gaze. He did take me to Sushi for lunch though. Along with my cousin and daughter.

But wasn't the first story sooooooooo much better? I thought so.

I had been putting off getting my eyes checked for, um... way too many years. Ridiculously too many years. After this last birthday I noticed that I was squinting to see nearly everything and that the neck tension and constant headache probably weren't good things to keep ignoring. So, yeah, I have contacts for the first time in my life. And saucy new glasses that will be ready in seven to ten working days.

The best moment was when, even though my vision was severely impaired from my pupils being dilated to the size of hubcaps, I turned and looked through my new contact lenses into the giant store itself. I felt like I was high. (Not that I have any idea what that feels like. ) I had never seen anything more beautiful than that Wal-Mart in all my life. The depth perception, the colors... I wanted to roll around on all of it!

The gift of sight. Huh. Not so overrated after all.

Worst Worship Ever?

I have buried myself in another book proposal and will not come up for air until it is done and off to my publisher. So, while I am on my knees proposing, ya'll enjoy one of the funniest / most frightening displays of Religious Human Weirdness I have seen in a LONG TIME.

I hardly know what to say about Jack Black's lead singing / missing link cousin, head trauma drummer and the throngs of Christians gone WILD with their mindless jumping and sock twirling. Watching this actually makes me horrified to be human.

"Heh, heh... We love the Lordy." Wow.

Heaven has got to be kicking back with Yahoos and bags of Funions laughing their bewildered heads off at this one.

Whipped For Wearing Pants

Check out this post about a female Sudanese UN employee who faces 40 lashes for wearing pants in public. If Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein is "...sentenced to be whipped, or to anything else, I will appeal. I will see it through to the end, to the constitutional court if necessary...And if the constitutional court says the law is constitutional, I'm ready to be whipped not 40 but 40,000 times."

40,000 times? Holy crap. That is a spanking that even I would not enjoy.

Friday Video: Sleeprunning Dog

I have watched this four times already this morning - and laughed out loud every time. Am I easily entertained or what?

To Repeat Aloud On A Gloomy Day

I wish I was a glowworm
A glowworm's never glum.
'Cause how can you be grumpy
When the sun shines out your bum?

Take Action - For Wesley

As many of you will remember, a few years ago my dear friend Reed Cowan lost his beautiful little son, Wesley. When I first met Wesley I thought, "Holy crap, it's the Little Prince!" And he was - both inside and out. An absolutely stunning child.

I received the following email from Reed a few days ago:

Hi friends! As many of you know, I lost my son three and a half years ago to a senseless backyard swing set accident. Wesley was playing on a swing set that should have been pulled from the market in the mid 1970's when the first injury was reported. Instead, swing set manufacturers (knowing the design was a risk to children) continued to market and perpetuate this design in to backyards all over the country. As a result, scores of children have had horrific injuries--and my son is dead.

I have fought my guts out--along with Wesley's mother and sister and our families--to get this design banned from the U.S. market. And we have prevailed. Never again will the design be made. The fight was horrible. Swing set manufacturers (including the manufacturer who provided the Obama children with their new Whitehouse lawn swing set) fought us with personal attacks and campaigns that were tremendously painful--all for money.

We won. But it cost us much.

But there's another phase in the fight. A crucial phase. And I need you to join with me in helping me.

While we were successful in the ban--the truth remains that TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THE SAME TYPE OF SWING SETS that killed our Wesley still remain in backyards all over the country.

That means that children are still at risk. And the CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY COMMISSION refuses to issue a nation-wide warning so that parents who have this design in their back yards can make the necessary modifications to protect their children.

THE CPSC IS DROPPING THE BALL and WE MUST DEMAND THEY DO THEIR JOB AND ISSUE AN ALERT. Even when I first called the CPSC days after Wesley's accident, I got a shove-off and a huge reluctance to even look in to this case. I simply will NOT take no for an answer. No grieving parent would or should.

For more information PLEASE READ HERE.

Watch the latest TV report about this and GO VIRAL WITH IT. PLEASE--IN THE NAME OF MY BEAUTIFUL SON WESLEY--FORWARD THIS E MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. PLEASE. GO VIRAL in emails and on your Facebook pages. TWITTER the WSVN LINK. IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE TO HELP. ASK EVERYONE TO CONTACT THE CPSC AND ASK THEM TO ISSUE A NATIONWIDE ALERT TO PARENTS.

WHEN YOU CONTACT THE CPSC-- GO TO: INFO@CPSC.GOV

FLOOD THEM. THEY ARE FAILING IN THIS INSTANCE. REMIND THEM THAT IN THEIR VERY OWN BI-LAWS--THEIR VERY EXISTENCE AND PURPOSE IS TO WARN THE PUBLIC. My son has been gone three and a half years. It's HIGH TIME the warning happen.

If they do not do this soon---I will hold a national press conference to say that the CPSC is dropping the ball here. Their credibility is on the line. Remind them to reclaim it.


Internetland, please take a moment to cut-n-paste, send emails, spread the word. There is absolutely no reason for one more child to be hurt and one more parent to suffer a loss like Reed has. No reason.

* * *

On a blissfully happy note: Reed and his partner Greg were just granted the legal adoption of gorgeous twin boys. Such lucky babies. Congratulations to the Papas!

Monson Gives Obama His Pedigree Chart

Ouch.