Wednesday November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving
Sorry to take a break away from the coaching search. As you know by now I am fascinated with it but not today.

Today I have chosen to put aside the Carolina-Clemson week too. I also am totally into our state rivalry but not so much today.

The day before Thanksgiving has me more grateful than any time in my life.

In years to follow I will not chose to focus on 2008 as the year of a divorce, a hard financial winter, a disappointing Clemson football season, Bowden’s departure and some difficult times for some great friends. Instead, I will choose to think of 2008 as the year my life changed.

Football games are still important but not crucial. Money is a necessity but not a means to measure success. Things once so crucial have lost their sense of urgency. Crucial is not crucial any more.

For those few that may have not heard, my 17-year old son was in an automobile accident on June 2 of this year. After 76 days in the hospital that featured a 50-50 chance to live, a coma, and the uncertainty of the years ahead, we feel extremely blessed to be where we are today.

Tomorrow is a holiday that used to mean some level of gratefulness, some great food and some great football. It took me 40 years but Thanksgiving is different this year.

The Carolina-Clemson game is important but not as important as it used to be.

Saturday’s game is the 106th Carolina-Clemson game but earlier this week the number (106) took on a much more significant meaning to me this week. Ryan took 106 steps on his own at physical therapy. His old record going into the weekend was 23 steps but Sunday he first went for 24 steps and later upped the record to 44 steps. On Monday he broke his record with 106 steps but Tuesday saw him take 76 steps that were even smoother and more impressive.

This is a special week because Ryan is coming off of a great weekend. He lives in Charlotte and I went up this weekend to take him to the Clemson-Charlotte basketball game. Ryan is a huge basketball fan and loved every minute of the Clemson win. After the game we went down to see the coaches and players. Ryan got a chance to spend a few minutes with Coach Purnell and got a chance to share some kind words. Ryan told him congrats on the great win and Coach Purnell promised to not have as many heart-stopping thrillers in the future. Ryan then got a chance to thank Coach Purnell for coming to his birthday party and told him that as soon as he is typing better he will send him a thank you letter. Coach told him to make it Littlejohn for a game instead.

After some pictures with Coach Purnell, Clemson assistant coach Josh Postorino helped get Terrence Oglesby and Trevor Booker over for pictures. Ryan loved it! He told Oglesby that he referred to him as “The Sniper” and Oglesby apologized for having a down shooting night. Ryan then told Booker, “Book, your mohawk is tight!” Booker laughed. Clemson fans would be proud of the way both players handled Ryan’s admiration.

The ride home was filled with Ryan calling his mom and grandfather to tell them about the pictures and conversations. I hadn’t seen him that happy in a few weeks.

So tomorrow when Ryan comes down to my sister’s house, my turkey will taste a little better and my mac and cheese might appear a little cheesier. Thanksgiving is different this year.

At no point did I ever really consider a holiday without him even though that was a possibility. I probably was in denial and heard the bad news but chose to only focus on the positive. Next week will be the six month anniversary of the accident and Ryan’s progress has been amazing. He is walking better each day. His speech improves as well. Ryan’s motor skills also continue to get better and better. He is bathing on his own, goes to the bathroom by himself, brushes his teeth and sends text messages to his friends.

This week gives me more encouragement that Ryan will be 100% one day. Maybe in 2009 but if not 2010. He has a long way to go in his walking, speaking and fine motor skills but he has yet to take a step in the wrong direction. He will make it.

Thanksgiving is special this year because our local newspaper, the Seneca Daily Journal/ Daily Messenger, is running a story about Ryan and his recovery. Their local sports writer, Eric Sprott, interviewed us Monday for the story. He was the same writer that wrote about Ryan the day of the accident. Tomorrow I will be thankful once again that that story was not an obituary.

So in the last six months I realized so many things. I learned about the greatness of the human spirit. I learned to turn off the TV news and stop reading the negative newspapers and start focusing on the wonderful spirit that people posses. I learned that prayers work. I learned the difference in knowing people love you and feeling that love.

However, the two most important lessons I learned are the two things I will be most thankful for tomorrow. I learned to trust God’s plan. I grew up loving God and knowing that God loves us but I missed the trust part. God’s plan is perfect and who are we to question it?

The second of the most important lessons I learned was that a 16 or 17-year old kid can teach so much to a 40-year old man. A teenager taught me life’s lessons that changed my life. Those lessons will stay with me forever.

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