Hello dear beautiful global family! BIRTHDAY ALERT!! SOON TO BE 23!!! What a week AND WEEKEND we have had! How glorious it was to sit here on the balcony of “37th Heaven” with my darling Schuyler inside happily talking via FaceTime with my mom. And the party this weekend!!! So much joy! Such happy energy! A room full of love!!! Tomorrow—ok technically today, on the 31st, her actual 23rd birthday!!! Mambo!

Last Monday, we set the alarm for 6am so that I could walk the dogs, quickly shower and zip through Schuyler’s morning routine in time to be out the door by 8:30! Bit by bit, I can feel Schuyler’s strength growing. Transferring from the bed to the wheel chair involves making sure that both of her feet are flat on the floor then wrapping my arms around her with one hand grabbing the bottom of the back brace (i.e. “the shield”). I remind her to lean forward then I bend my legs and count to three. She pushes up and I push up and miraculously we both end up standing! Haha!

It’s hard to describe that blissful feeling when she is there in my arms. It’s a moment that is almost like a hybrid between the most indulgent hug and the perfect waltz. How long it had been since I had been able to get a full hug from this amazingly buoyant spirit and now these “in transit” luxurious hugs are part of the transferring process. Lots of hidden joy in among the labor!

This week, for the first time, I realized that Schuy’s balance was improving so well that she could steady herself with her left hand on my shoulder and I could move my arms away from the shield. She stood that way for two full minutes several times throughout the day and my heart absolutely leapt in joy each time that she accomplished it!

On Monday when I transferred Schuyler into our trusty green Genesis (the “Green Hornet”), I just knew that this first follow-up doctor’s appointment would go fabulously! And indeed it did! Final x-rays of her spine were taken and our wonderful Dr. Wang proclaimed that he had an early birthday present for Schuyler: no more need for “the shield”! He suggested that Schuyler might need to wean off of it gradually, but even in this still fragile state, Schuyler was willing to risk a few sore muscles if it meant finally feeling the lovely sensation of having her torso FREE for the first time in months!! And the x-rays—oh my! Schuyler definitely has a few metal “embellishments” in her little 107 pound body! But onward toward wellness we go!

Another early morning on Tuesday as we dashed to catch Schuyler’s therapy sessions that began at 9am. More intense work on her upper torso balance and strength! She is now able to sit supporting her own weight for longer and longer periods. She can hold her balance when the therapists try to push against her. More practicing getting in and out of the wheelchair…. more standing… more baby steps between the parallel bars….

On Wednesday, Schuyler and I spent the day at home. It’s pretty much a non-stop day of transferring Schuyler from bed to wheelchair and from wheelchair to toilet and from toilet to wheelchair and from wheelchair to sofa and from sofa to wheelchair and from wheelchair to toilet and from toilet to bed and from bed to wheelchair… you get the picture. There are meals to be prepared then meals to be served. Schuyler’s right arm is still too weak to lift more than a couple of inches so she needs help getting that arm into a position where she can get a fork or spoon to her mouth. Her left arm is much more coordinated and strong so this dear child might come out of this being ambidextrous! It wouldn’t surprise us at all! It’s a learning experience for her and also a learning experience for me! But the exhilaration of the consistent progress takes my breath away!

Wednesday evening, we had a physical therapist actually come work with Schuy in our apartment. (Thanks to all of you who donated to our fund. YOU made this possible.) The insurance company only covers 35 visits to therapy and Schuyler still has many physical challenges to overcome before she can really attempt to perform any “normal” activities safely on her own. The independent home therapist Arlene is a wonderful addition to Schuy’s hospital rehab angels. Both Schuy and I loved her instantly!

Arlene actually had Schuyler up on her feet, hands against the sliding glass doors, taking small lateral steps as Arlene held her. She repeated the exercise again at the back of the couch. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see “Baby Schuyler” starting to stand in something that resembles her pre-Colombia posture! When she worked with Schuy again on Friday, she even had Schuy on the ground on her stomach doing baby versions of a hover/plank! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! How many, many times that I rejoice and marvel during each day!

On Thursday, more cause for celebration! This time, we headed off to the orthopedic team’s offices. How exciting it was to see the look on those surgeons’ faces when they saw Schuy’s progress! Some of them had not seen Schuyler since she was released from the ICU! To have her talking and smiling and laughing in her little red flowered sun dress with wide brimmed straw hat obviously was a highlight of their day. This sort of miracle is most definitely why they do what they do! More x-rays and a huge “yay” when the doctor said that Schuy no longer had to wear “the boot”! The bones in both scapulas, upper right thigh and left ankle are officially healed! To see the volume of screws, rods and metal inside our little maiden warrior makes one thank God for modern medicine and the dedication of these amazing medical teams! Wow! The airport security will definitely get to know Schuyler!

So, off came the boot! Shoes and socks were ceremoniously adorned onto both of those beautiful feet then we were off to the Farmer’s Market on campus for lunch before therapy. It was a gorgeously delicious day in Miami with a balmy breeze and big, poofy clouds floating leisurely through the blue sky over the grassy quad. The ladies at the Peruvian stand remembered Schuyler and once again gifted her a fruit juice medley. The taste of those nectars was pure liquid paradise, but seeing Schuyler hold the cup in her dainty left hand and now drink that delectable liquid on her own was better still!

It was the perfect afternoon “picnic”: ceviche, avocado, a custom “healthy juice” concoction, fresh fruit mélange featuring kiwi, berries, papaya, pineapple and melon, and a lovely Peruvian dish featuring seasoned chilled potatoes that were “mashed” around a lovely shrimp salad! Pure heaven!

Up we went for Schuy’s afternoon therapy. As she started her occupational therapy, I scooted down to the pharmacy building to pick up some missing medications. When I got back up to Schuy’s therapy, they told me that they were going to take her to aquatic therapy in a couple of weeks! So much to look forward to! I just had to grin and hug her as they wheeled her over to once again tackle the parallel bars and “tiny stepping”.

On Friday, friends and family began arriving to celebrate Schuy’s birthday on the 31st! The magnitude of such joy, love and appreciation was powerful indeed. On Saturday, it was all about Schuyler! By 7:30pm the room was filled with dear friends old and new. Music graced the roar of the oceans below. Laughter resounded from corner to corner. Smiles, hugs, well-being and love presided. Schuyler could not have looked happier, nor could we. No one dreamed last year at this time that this is where we would be, but we are better people from having walked through this valley. We have truly LIVED and expanded.

Tomorrow is Schuyler’s birthday and needless to say, to have her beside me cooing, laughing, “shoulder dancing” is the ultimate gift to me and to every one of us in our family! Her gorgeous little left eye so wide and full of wonder melts my heart to no end! Her right eye just starting to open…Her beautiful smile! Her infectious laugh— all are such HUGE rewards for the challenges that I face in this journey.

Yes, dear global family, I won’t pretend that this doesn’t require tremendous courage on my part as well as on Schuy’s. As you might have guessed, when something like this occurs, you have to jump in with both feet and put virtually every other aspect of your life on hold— your source of income, your relationships, your routines…. Ironically, it’s not actually Schuy and her progress that demands that I be courageous. The work right now is definitely physically exhausting yet being part of her progress is exhilarating to no end! Caring for Schuyler in this phase of the journey is a full time joy as much as it is a full time job. There are so many moments that absolutely leave me feeling like I am blessed to be living this!

The scary novelty of so much responsibility and pressure has relaxed into simply a very busy new routine. Amazing how we do adjust. There have been broken blenders and shattered glass, soiled sheets and endless wrestles with velcro. And the laundry—oh my gosh, the laundry! Yet, in the midst of tons of appointments and “must-do’s”, we find time to live. Adventures down to the beach, birthday cake shopping at Whole Foods (with one of the sweetest guys behind the counter), mother-daughter hour at Lincoln Road Doraku sushi…. it’s all part of this crazy magical experience that weaves the richness into the tapestry of our lives. We grow and we live in full Dolby sound and technicolor. We in some cases must “fight” to be happy. It can be far too tempting at times to focus on the challenges.

I have heard that the word “courage” originates from the word “coeur” which in French means heart. Ironic because maybe the ultimate form of courage is to listen to your heart. And I mean to really listen… there are often things that we don’t really want to hear— to the point where we fear hearing our heart say such things… and yet our heart is connected “bravely” and genuinely to the God Universe that hears our most inner most dreams. Our heart knows where the “there” is that we want to go—even if we believe that our own road map is the shortest route. When our heart aligns with the God Universe we may believe that our lives are “falling apart” when in reality all the power of our being is “coming together” in the most awe-inspiring, grandest of ways!

Probably the toughest challenge for me personally has been the financial hit. This journey came during the three month window when my business generates about 80% of my annual revenue. Needless to say, it’s tough to make cold calls from a busy ICU room or during rehab. I am the primary income generator so the hiccup that I am feeling is enough to definitely generate sincere fear. And yet there could have been no other path. My daughter NEEDED me and needs me still. This is the unconditional love of a parent. And even in the worry, there is a profound reverence.

My dear wonderful global family, there are times when all of us are going to face monumental challenges and unfathomable choices. There will be tears and there undoubtedly will be terror. And yet during these times lies an abundance of opportunity. We are magnificent souls. We weep and we writhe in order to align with our true power. We crave growth and we binge on the concept of all encompassing happiness. We are free to choose. We are free to live. Our darkest hours come only when we feel alone and disconnected from all humanity or from the light that shines within us. So look for it with those “real-eyes” (realize) and embrace your own true strength and beauty. Run to those who will love you, embrace you, appreciate you and in some cases support you when you fall. Those who think that they are islands are destined to remain islands. Those who will share a vulnerable messy hair day hug with a new found friend are perhaps the heartbeat of all that could be.

This glorious God Universe has given us kittens and crazy chocolate dachshunds who lie on their backs without a care in the world. There are mountains. There are waves. There is genius. There is art. There is abundance at every twist and turn if we will see it. All we need to do is to add our own energy and love. But most of all there is the energy of true connection. This creates galaxies. This moves life forward.

Run to your hearts. Be “coeur-ageous”. Define yourselves not by what you work but by what you live. Dream. Connect. Empower yourselves by empowering others. Look into each other’s eyes and dare to love. Life is not a given but the path is bright even when you can only feel it.

We are not failures if we face times that make us very afraid. We are simply alive and in a poignant and important chapter along our journey. I believe that Life truly and sincerely wants us to “succeed” by finding our heart’s desire. But success requires a “rocket fuel” level of momentum and that momentum is often only created by challenge.

It is as much the darkness that surrounds the beautiful lights of this cityscape of Miami that creates the perfection in this vision. Were it all bright, there would be no depth and grandeur. My dear glorious global family, we are all truly on a magnificent journey. We will cry. We will love and yet we will live. We cannot get it wrong. We cannot get it done. We are meant to keep living and living and living…for deeply yet simply within this living is the delicate yet wondrous “meaning of life”. Yes, the Schuy is the Limit!

Much love,

Meridith (And Schuy and the Family)