A quiet strong hero

Gracious support above fear, above rage, and above sadness.  That shows a true moral compass of someone.  I have the pleasure, though for a short time, to know Mary Radatovich.  She helps countless parents, like Belinda and myself, cope with the struggling effects of infant loss and bereavement.  For those who know her, she is like an angel sent down.  She has been where we were and survived.  She gives us hope for those suffering now.

Right now though, she is suffering.  Unfortunately, a dear friend of hers was affected by the Newtown, CT tragedy.  A young boy she knew personally was struck down, tragically by the shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary.  There could be more, I don't know.  From all I hear, it was a close knit community.  I'm sure she is struggling, as the whole community is, with the loss and the end of the innocence.  Yet I see the NY Daily News covering this story.  I see Mary right there, at someones side.  Showing grace and support.  Regardless of her emotions, she rises.  Proving her strength as the angel we've come to know her as.  Grace under pressure so to speak.  While the grief is different (not that any is truly the same), that person we know, the one who helps SO many and touches SO many is back at it.

I wish we could do as much for her and her friend, as she's done for us.  If I know her correctly, she wouldn't ask (unless it's to speak in public).  I'm not a real religious type of guy.  However, last night, after I kissed and hugged my kids.  When they went to bed, I dropped to my knees.  I looked towards the sky and say a silent prayer.  I didn't really know what to say.  I still don't.  I am reminded of the starfish.  While I'm sure Mary wants to help everyone, she knows she can't.  Still she battles through her grief to help many.

The Starfish Story

 

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

 

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

 

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

 

“Well, I made a difference to that one!”