Dear Sweet and Wonderful Global Family,

My intent today had been to share a post about the AMAZING NTDT NewTampa DanceTheatre Dance-aThon (which was beyond words) and I WILL do that in the next few days. However, this other sweet young warrior princess child’s story came to me from the lovely Tiffany Desrosiers. There is so much beauty of soul and beauty of experience in the world. As I say in my letter to her, I don’t begin to know the WHY behind the paths that we all walk upon, but I do feel blessed by the power of even the most difficult of journeys. I celebrate this young woman with a letter. I encourage you to open your hearts and to do the same…. #SchuyHasNoLimit

My Dear Sweet Kourtney,

We don’t know each other in body, but I do believe that we are kindred souls of sorts. My own sweet daughter Schuyler was struck by a boulder while traveling in Colombia in February. That boulder impacted our lives in the most profound ways.

Medically speaking, it seemed impossible for Schuyler to survive. This boulder had crushed a major portion of the front of her skull, leaving her brain exposed. It crushed her lungs, fractured her spine, fractured her shoulder blades, broke her right thigh bone and pulverized her left ankle. Doctors were telling us that if she survived she would most certainly be blind and there was the chilling possibility that with this level of damage we would “potentially wish that she had not survived”. It was a real possibility that this vibrant child of mine whose middle name literally means happiness would either never live to see another one of her wild adventures or live out the rest of her years in a vegetative state.

This is the textbook version of our “reality”. Now let me tell you what we LIVED. It sounds like you know what it feels like to lose a child. On this day, I had to become one with this possibility. I had to cry. I had to fear. I had to wonder. I had to choose. Yes, I had to choose how this would define ME and how it would define the glorious life so far of Schuyler. As you probably know, this is not something that you do in a bubble. My older daughter Saya, my son Linden, my mother, my father, her father, family, friends were all in shock and gripped with grief and fear. As I’m sure that you know, there are times in your life when you are asked to dig deeper than you believe you can handle… and yet you find your way.

I had to ask myself if I truly believed that I would “lose” all that Schuyler embodied, all that she stood for, all that she has already given the world if her body… her “being aliveness” was taken from me… Schuy had lived more in her 22 short years than many adults live in a lifetime… she has touched lives and hearts and like you, inspired so, so many!

Deep within my soul came first a belief then a knowing that all would be “fine”— whatever that new fine might be. “Trust in the process.” This was a process that revealed itself to be much bigger and more expansive than anything I could have previously imagined or comprehended.

I had to gently dip my toe into that water at first but then the knowing gained the power of a tsunami.

I am a passionate believer in what some call the Law of Attraction. I call it the Law of Energy. Either way, it didn’t take long before I was given a KNOWING that if I had a total relaxed knowing (akin to the emotions that you would have if you had a true crystal ball) that Schuy would be fine that God Universe would have to twist and turn to make it so. Our belief in Schuyler was strong, UNWAVERINGLY STRONG. We didn’t focus on the apparently wounded sweet body in a coma in the ICU. Instead, we reached out across the globe to friends to celebrate her at her most vibrant.

Magically, it didn’t take long before thousands around the world were sending her love, encouragement and prayer. I’m sure that you have felt the same, dear one. Special souls are given special cargo and often given the gift of a uniquely meaningly journey.

Dear Kourtney, life is not measured in years and even one small voice can be POWERFUL beyond measure, as you are already seeing. Your life is IMPORTANT and has already created a major tidal wave of change in your fellow humans. You ARE a celebration of life and all that is magical about our tiny planet. Yes, there are those who have caused tears along the way but those are the diamonds in your crown. Were there not those kids who lacked understanding, you wouldn’t perhaps be so compelled to share your voice.

The soul that you feel within, the life that cries out to laugh and rejoice does not in my experience have an expiration date. Its gift during this lifetime in this vessel is rich precisely because you have accumulated such rocket fuel from such challenge. Dear sweet Kourtney, we truly do celebrate you! Those hurtful words of childhood do not define you. You are obviously defining yourself. You can thank them for awakening your voice and then let them go. They are not moving as quickly along this path as you are.

You are special. You are important. In many ways that our human eyes perhaps cannot see, your life has just begun. Be proud of who you are and of this crazy inspirational life that you have been chosen to lead. Not many could withstand it, but here you are.

My dear sweet Kourtney, you are one of Life’s hidden goddesses… a beautiful Warrior Princess… I don’t begin to know why we encounter some of the challenges that we receive but I can tell you that the blessings far outweigh the challenges— and dear one, whatever your path forward from this moment, YOU ARE A BLESSING! Sending you so much love along your miraculous journey…. #SchuyIsTheLimit

Love,

Meridith and Schuy