"Ethan". "Ethan". "Ethan". Heidi chanted the young boy's name with every pedal of her bicycle. "Ethan". "Ethan". "Ethan". The hills around Lake Tahoe aren't easy to drive, much less to ride a bike on. . .but that didn't matter to Heidi. . .she was there for a reason. . .she was there for Ethan. . .in a way, she was there for you. . .
My son and daughter have the privilege of living in a public school district where gifted kids and their well-being are taken as serious as learning-disabled kids are. One of the benefits of being involved with the gifted program is the wonderful and diverse group of people that you get to meet. One of those people is Jason. . .he is my 7 year-old daughter's gifted education teacher.
We spent an hour at a parent-teacher conference listening to how our wonderful and energetic child is doing in this advanced and accelerated curriculum, soliciting advice from Jason about how to give our daughter the best chance possible to take advantage of the gifts she's been given.
We got a lot of good advice, but what I took away from the meeting, more than anything else, took place after the meeting.
Jason began to relate to us the story of his son, Ethan. Ethan was diagnosed at 2 years of age with Leukemia. . .prospects were dim for Ethan, but Jason and his wonderful wife Heidi are strong people with a lot of resolve and even MORE love. . .they both shaved their heads when Ethan started chemo treatments. . .they went to their church and asked for special curriculum in order for their child to not miss out on the things the family values spiritually. . .and then, there was the bike ride. . .the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe. . .Jason couldn't do it. . .he had to teach children like my daughter. His petite wife, however, was a stay at home mom with a lot of drive and even more love.
Cut to the scene in the mountains of Lake Tahoe. Tiny Heidi. . .huffing, puffing, chanting her son's name. . .mile after mile. . .sore ankles. . .stitches in her side. . .tears streaming down her face. . ."Ethan". . ."Ethan". . ."Ethan". . .all 100 miles. . .all for Ethan. . .all for love. . .all for those with leukemia. . .all in an effort to find a cure. . .
What about us? What are we prepared to do? Are we prepared to let issues like the stem-cell research initiative in Missouri die an ugly death because of misquoted scripture? They tell us we're playing God. . .making choices between who lives and dies. . .isn't that what we do when we let children like Ethan fall by the wayside because of closed-mindedness? Isn't he allowed the same opportunity to live as the unborn?
Jason, it so happens, goes to my church. . .I'm a part of the religious left. . .an evangelical that believes that the love of Jesus is best shown by actions and not by empty words from those who have decided that religion belongs to them and them alone. . .HE doesn't struggle with this issue anymore. . .why? Because he knows that salvation is for ALL of us. . .that Pro-Life truly means THAT. . .Pro-LIFE. . .for everyone. . .not just a fetus.
Don't forget about Ethan on November 7. Please vote and take somebody with you. Vote.