I drew him a picture of a superhero with strong arms, Lily said matterofactly. And I told him his arm was going to be stronger than ever. It got better in 3 weeks instead of six. Robert stared at his daughter, his mind racing. Could it be possible? Had Lily really been healing people without him noticing? But Lily, Robert said gently, helping someone’s back feel better or helping a broken arm heal faster? That’s very different from making someone who can’t walk suddenly be able to walk again.
Lily finished her cereal and looked at her father. Seriously. Daddy, Judge Catherine’s legs aren’t broken like Tommy’s arm was. Her legs work fine. The problem is in her heart. What do you mean, sweetheart? When I touched her hand yesterday, I could feel all the sadness inside her, Lily explained. She’s so sad and scared that she’s forgotten how to believe in good things.
Sometimes when people are very sad for a long time, their bodies forget how to work right, too. Robert didn’t know what to say. His 5-year-old daughter was talking about things that sounded like advanced psychology or spiritual healing. “So, how are you going to help her?” he asked. Lily smiled brightly. “I’m going to show her how to remember joy, and when she remembers how to be happy, her legs will remember how to walk.
” That same morning, Judge Catherine was in her home office trying to focus on other legal cases, but she couldn’t concentrate. She kept thinking about Lily’s confident smile and the strange feeling she had gotten when the little girl touched her hand. Catherine had been to dozens of doctors over the past 3 years.
They had all told her the same thing. Her spinal cord was severely damaged in the car accident, and she would never walk again. It was medically impossible. But something about Lily made her wonder if there were things beyond medical possibility. Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was Dr. Harrison, her longtime physician.
Catherine, Dr. Harrison said, “I heard about what happened in your courtroom yesterday. The whole town is talking about it.” “I’m sure they are,” Catherine replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Listen, I’ve been your doctor for 15 years, and I care about you. I don’t want you to get your hopes up about something that can’t happen.
Your injury is permanent.” Catherine was quiet for a moment. Dr. Harrison, what if the injury isn’t just physical? What if there’s more to healing than just fixing broken bones and damaged nerves? Dr. Harrison, Catherine, I understand you’re going through a difficult time, but please don’t let desperation make you believe in false hope.
That little girl, no matter how sweet she is, cannot heal your paralysis. After Catherine hung up the phone, she felt doubt creeping into her mind. Maybe Dr. Harrison was right. Maybe she was being foolish. But then she remembered the feeling she had gotten when Lily touched her hand. A warm tingling sensation that she hadn’t felt in her legs since before the accident.
That afternoon, Robert took Lily to the park. He watched as she played on the swings, her laughter filling the air like music. Other children played nearby, and Robert noticed something he had never paid attention to before. Whenever a child fell down or started crying, other kids would usually ignore them or run away. But not Lily.
Every time someone got hurt, she would run over to them, help them up, and somehow make them feelbetter. She would whisper something in their ear, give them a hug, or just hold their hand until they stopped crying. “She’s special, that one,” said a voice behind Robert. Robert turned around to see an elderly man sitting on a nearby bench.
He had kind eyes and a gentle smile. “I’m sorry,” Robert asked. “Your daughter?” the old man said, nodding toward Lily. “I’ve been bringing my grandson to this park for 2 years, and I’ve never seen a child like her. She has what my grandmother used to call the gift. The gift?” Robert asked, sitting down next to the man.
