This entry is going to be a change over what I usually write in here. I was told this morning of the death of actor Christopher Reeve. Saddened as I am by the news, I see his life being a lesson here for everyone whether they are lightworkers or not. But it is truly a lesson for those that are.
Chris Reeve came to national notice when he starred in the 1978 film “Superman”. After having been a fan of science fiction and the Superman comics and TV show, I had to see the movie. What I found was the hero played with emotion, something I felt hadn’t been done well in any previous film version. Reeve was just perfect for the role, and set the bar high for any actor to follow in that same role (they have been trying to make a new film now for years).
Obviously Reeve did other films, but few of them were as memorable as the Superman series. One of the things that impressed everyone was that unlike many people that reach stardom, Reeve was actually a nice guy, and people liked him for it. One never heard bad things about him.
At one point in time, Chris Reeve was a pilot and owned some small planes under his company, Reeve Air. Now and then, one pilot or another would not be able to make a chartered run, and Reeve himself would fly the plane. Of course upon seeing him as their pilot, many passengers would ask why they needed the plane.
When he broke his neck after falling off his horse during a competition, people made a lot of noise that Superman had fallen. They made jokes about how ironic it was. Reeve went through the depression one would expect to have in that type of situation, and instead of giving in and dying, he decided to live. With that decision came a will (yes) of steel. From that moment on, Reeve went on to continue to act and direct. He started using his connections to get people looking at things to improve the lives of paralysis victims, and push for a way to cure paralysis completely.
Chris Reeve amazed people as he started to feel the lower parts of his body. He totally surprised them when he could move a finger on his left hand. He kept having his legs exercised for the day that he would walk again. He kept pushing forward. And as he did he gave people hope, hope that one day there would be a way to reconnect the spinal column so that paralysis victims could one day return to normal lives. (If the research actually happens, it will help lots of things from paralysis to Alzheimer's.)
So, Christopher Reeve, the actor that played Superman had fallen. But truly, he proved that he was Superman after all. His life was lived in the spotlight. But that showed that there are many people in the dark that deal with major life problems all the time that we don’t see or hear about.
What he showed mostly was to keep fighting, and keep the faith. No matter how bad things can be, punch back. Reach out and grab whatever you can to keep yourself going, and do that within the light. Keep moving forward.
Chris Reeve did not get to walk in this lifetime. Instead he went back to flying. But his life’s message was one for everyone... Keep going. No matter what darkness surrounds you, keep moving ahead. You can make a difference.