This past Thursday I was on a flight from Salt Lake City to Portland. I was sitting in a row all by myself, 30,000 feet in the air, and for the entire flight I stared out the window and thought about the Disney movie ‘Hercules’. Hercules is Josh’s all-time favorite movie. I imagine it appeals to his boyhood fantasies of having God-like strength, saving civilizations from evil and destruction and rescuing the damsel in distress. And then when the last obstacle has been overcome and the final battle has been won…a hero’s welcome.
The story is a little more complex than just the physical obstacles and feats of strength and courage. The story begins when baby Hercules is separated from his proud and adoring father Zeus, King of the Gods. Hercules is found on earth, taken in by a loving human family and raised as a mortal, never quite fitting in or understanding the source of his unusual strength. He constantly makes disastrous mistakes, he is treated like an outcast, and when the next opportunity arises for him to prove himself to the ‘in’ crowd…he blows it. It seems our hero, is a zero.
Then, at his darkest hour, Hercules sings “Go the Distance” to himself. He imagines himself in a far off place, where the crowds would cheer when they saw him and he would finally feel like he was where he belonged. He told himself that he would be there someday – that he would go the distance. He would search the world and he would face its harms, till he found his hero’s welcome – “waiting in your arms.”
I love that song, it’s meant a lot to me at different points in my life and it has inspired me…(so much that I didn’t even notice or care that it was a Michael Bolton song.) In context of the movie – I’m not sure whose arms he was talking about. Was it his heroine, Meg? Was it his father, Zeus? I don’t know. But regardless, he was certain that he would find his way. He wasn’t going to do it for the glory, the fame, or the cheering crowds. He was going to go the distance for his hero’s welcome waiting in those arms.
My flight home on Thursday was returning from the funeral of my sweet nephew, Karson. From what I believe and what I know to be true – Karson is as immortal and as exalted as Zeus, King of the Gods. His immortality and eternal life is certain and qualified. He is where he’s supposed to be. The hero in my story is my brother Darren, the proud and adoring father who for a time, has been separated from his son. I can’t imagine what this must feel like for him and his amazing wife Jody. I can only say for certain that this separation and this deep feeling of loss is the sum total of all their darkest hours.
Darren gave a beautiful eulogy to his son at his funeral. He shared with us one of the many lessons that Karson taught him in his short life on earth. As his disease was Spinal Muscular Atrophy and left him paralyzed, Karson taught Darren that strength had nothing to do with muscles. I have always known the same about my brother. While Darren has plenty of muscles and physical abilities, the source of his unusual strength is his heart.
Darren, in one of his darkest hours to himself and in front of his family and friends who love him, imagined himself with Karson someday. Karson is where he wants to be, he is his North star. Though at times his road would wander, ultimately, it would lead to him. It could take him a lifetime, but somehow he would see it through. He would go the distance till he found his hero’s welcome, waiting in Karson’s arms.
Speaking completely from the point of view of a little sister, Darren has always been my hero. At my last obstacle and at my final battle, I know he’ll be there and wherever I am he’ll always have a hero’s welcome.
I love you big brother (and Jody and Hadley). God bless your family in your life’s journey on this earth. I know you'll go the distance…TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!
The story is a little more complex than just the physical obstacles and feats of strength and courage. The story begins when baby Hercules is separated from his proud and adoring father Zeus, King of the Gods. Hercules is found on earth, taken in by a loving human family and raised as a mortal, never quite fitting in or understanding the source of his unusual strength. He constantly makes disastrous mistakes, he is treated like an outcast, and when the next opportunity arises for him to prove himself to the ‘in’ crowd…he blows it. It seems our hero, is a zero.
Then, at his darkest hour, Hercules sings “Go the Distance” to himself. He imagines himself in a far off place, where the crowds would cheer when they saw him and he would finally feel like he was where he belonged. He told himself that he would be there someday – that he would go the distance. He would search the world and he would face its harms, till he found his hero’s welcome – “waiting in your arms.”
I love that song, it’s meant a lot to me at different points in my life and it has inspired me…(so much that I didn’t even notice or care that it was a Michael Bolton song.) In context of the movie – I’m not sure whose arms he was talking about. Was it his heroine, Meg? Was it his father, Zeus? I don’t know. But regardless, he was certain that he would find his way. He wasn’t going to do it for the glory, the fame, or the cheering crowds. He was going to go the distance for his hero’s welcome waiting in those arms.
My flight home on Thursday was returning from the funeral of my sweet nephew, Karson. From what I believe and what I know to be true – Karson is as immortal and as exalted as Zeus, King of the Gods. His immortality and eternal life is certain and qualified. He is where he’s supposed to be. The hero in my story is my brother Darren, the proud and adoring father who for a time, has been separated from his son. I can’t imagine what this must feel like for him and his amazing wife Jody. I can only say for certain that this separation and this deep feeling of loss is the sum total of all their darkest hours.
Darren gave a beautiful eulogy to his son at his funeral. He shared with us one of the many lessons that Karson taught him in his short life on earth. As his disease was Spinal Muscular Atrophy and left him paralyzed, Karson taught Darren that strength had nothing to do with muscles. I have always known the same about my brother. While Darren has plenty of muscles and physical abilities, the source of his unusual strength is his heart.
Darren, in one of his darkest hours to himself and in front of his family and friends who love him, imagined himself with Karson someday. Karson is where he wants to be, he is his North star. Though at times his road would wander, ultimately, it would lead to him. It could take him a lifetime, but somehow he would see it through. He would go the distance till he found his hero’s welcome, waiting in Karson’s arms.
Speaking completely from the point of view of a little sister, Darren has always been my hero. At my last obstacle and at my final battle, I know he’ll be there and wherever I am he’ll always have a hero’s welcome.
I love you big brother (and Jody and Hadley). God bless your family in your life’s journey on this earth. I know you'll go the distance…TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!
1 comment:
I love that picture
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