The other day I was scrolling through the channels and came across one of my favorite 90's movies entitled "Jack" starring Robin Williams. It's a fictional story about a boy born with a genetic disease that rapidly ages his body. Robin Williams plays a 10 year old boy who's struggling to realize that his life is quickly passing him by. By the time he's 18 his body will be that of an 80 year old. His tutor and friend Mr. Woodruff asks Jack if he's ever seen a shooting star...
Jack: No...
Mr Woodruff: It's wonderful. It passes quickly, but while it's here it just lights up the whole sky - it's the most beautiful thing you'd ever want to see. So beautiful that the other stars stop and watch. You almost never see one.
Jack: Why?
Mr Woodruff: Because they're very rare - quite rare - but I saw one. I did.
Jack: I just want to be a regular star.
Mr Woodruff: Jack, you'll never be regular. You're spectacular.
On May 10th, 2013, a shooting star was seen. She wasn't supposed to survive or make it past her first few moments on Earth...yet she did. She not only survived, she shined. For 5 years she lit up our world. So often her mother and I had wished she could just be a normal star, but that just wasn't what Haddie was meant to be. Shooting stars take your breath away. They change how you look at the sky. There is a tremendous sadness after they have passed because you enjoyed so much watching them streak across the sky. Yet you were glad that you got to witness one. For that brief moment, that light was all you could see.
Today we celebrate the 9th birthday of our sweet Hadassah Marie. There is a major difference though between Haddie and a shooting star. Once a shooting star goes by, you'll never see that same light again from that star. I am confident that we will see Haddie again. She's in a place where stars don't burn out. We look forward to that day. Until then, we smile and remember her life and the light she brought to our lives. Happy Birthday Haddie, we love you.
