Yes You Can

I am reading an interesting book. It is "Heroes For My Son" by Brad Meltzer (Copyright 2010 by Forty-four Steps, Inc.).

The review caught my attention.

"When Brad Meltzer's first son was born eight years ago, the bestselling writer and new father started compiling a list of heroes whose virtues and talents he wanted to share with his son: Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Jim Henson, Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali...and so many more, each one an ordinary person who was able to achieve the extraordinary. The list grew to include the fifty-two amazing people now gathered in Heroes for My Son, a book that parents and their children—sons and daughters alike—can now enjoy together as they choose heroes of their own.

From the Wright Brothers, who brought extra building materials to every test flight, planning ahead for failure, to Miep Gies, who risked her life to protect Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II, Heroes for My Son brings well-known figures together with less famous ones, telling the inspiring, behind-the-scenes stories of the moment that made them great. They are a miraculous group with one thing in common: each is an example of the spectacular potential that can be found in all of us. Heroes for My Son is an unforgettable book of timeless wisdom, one that families everywhere can share again and again."

A new story shows up in my inbox every day from DailyLit.com. It is a great way to read the fifty-two short stories. Today I read "Unstoppable" about Team Hoyt, father and son long-distance runners. The Hoyts' son, Rick, was born with cerebral palsy and was unable to walk or talk.

"In high school, Rick learned of a five-mile charity run for a newly paralyzed teenager. Rick told his father they had to do something to send a message that life goes on. Even though he wasn't a runner, Dick never hesitated. He'd run the race, pushing Rick's wheelchair the whole way. They finished next to last. It was a victory. At the finish line, Rick typed out these words: when I'm running, it feels like my disability disappears."

With that message, the father knew what he had to do. He kept running in races and his son was always out in front. They ran 229 triathlons, 66 marathons, and 6 Ironman races. "Rick Hoyt still can't walk. But with his father, they both fly."

Team Hoyt's motto is, "Yes you can!"

What a great example of a father's love for his son.