Standing Tall

My mother and I took a trip out to see my niece and sister yesterday. I had only been to visit once since Amanda came home, so it was high time to see my family.

Amanda looked great and was sitting on the couch. Her hospital bed is in the living room, over on one side, so there's still lots of room to move around. She told us that she's thinking of getting rid of the hospital bed and moving back into her own bedroom. We were shocked by that news, but she says she's figured out how to get in and out of her sleigh bed and would be much more comfortable in her own room.

Later, she commented that they'll be getting rid of the walker.

"What are you talking about?" Grandma asked. "If you get rid of the walker, how will you walk?"

"I'll just . . . walk," Amanda tried to explain.

"How, honey?"

"I'll just stand up and walk. Besides, the walker hurts my back because I have to bend down to reach it." Amanda is close to 6 feet tall and she has to stoop down to the walker. I can certainly understand how her back would hurt from using it.

"Show me," Grandma challenged, unable to quite grasp what Amanda was saying.

AND THEN SHE DID IT! She pushed herself up from the couch using her hands and arms (seemingly very easily), stood up straight, and began walking across the room. Grandma and I got very quiet.

In the midst of so many miracles, what's one more? But the truth is, we don't take any of this for granted. We both welled up with tears. Watching that girl walk - on her own - less than 4 months after a devastating accident that came so close to taking her life the nurses can't even believe she's still around is just almost too much to take in.

I don't even know why we're still surprised by her progress. That girl has more fight in her that Muhammed Ali. Her gait is a little strange, her hips are still rotated outward, so she sort of thrusts her pelvis forward, then moves her legs to balance, but she's walking, unaided, smoothly, FAR. I get choked up just remembering.

She turned around to head back to the couch and stopped to grin at me. What a beautiful look. And what a beautiful, precious young woman.

My niece, Amanda. The accident survivor.

And surviving, she is. Quite well, if you ask me.