The Sun was shining in a cloudless sky as Willy was running through the mountain meadow with its endless array of wild flowers. He had been chasing a butterfly but it had escaped his grasping hands so now he was running just to feel the grass and flowers slap his legs. He fell into a fresh cut swath of grass and he became aware of the scent of the damp earth, the breeze also brought him the refreshing scent from the pine forest at the edge of the meadow. As he looked around he saw the majestic mountains surrounding him. He jumped up and ran towards the forest jumping merrily over each grass swath drying in the morning sun. As he entered the forest he could feel the moss and pine needles under his bare feet and some young pine trees softly brushing his legs like a cat looking for affection. He came to a clear, cold stream gurgling over the rocks on its way down the valley. He found a small puddle. He stepped into it, the water was so cold that it sent a shiver up his back, making him jump out and dance around to warm his feet. He picked up some rocks and began to throw them into the water. The water droplets were turned into glittering diamonds as they passed through the rays of sunlight that the trees let through. Willy’s attention was drawn to a small cliff that he proceeded to climb. As he dropped exhausted onto the soft wild flowers and grass at the top, the sun felt warm on his legs and body. After he had caught his breath he spotted a small boulder at the edge of the cliff. It felt so invigorating as he used all his energy pushing and rolling the boulder over the edge of the cliff to watch it shatter at the bottom. Willy squealed with pleasure at the sight, danced jig and then kicked at some small rocks to send them over the edge.

Suddenly he was not kicking rocks over a cliff but his mother was calling his name. He was in a hospital bed! He also remembered that he was paralyzed from the waist down. He could not feel his legs or feet! He could not move them, no matter how hard he tried, nothing would happen! When the nurse had run the wet wash cloth over his legs that morning he had felt no wetness, nothing! He knew that he would never walk again, he would never again experience what he had dreamed of. That was why he asked his mother why she had called him back from Heaven.

  Pictures courtesy of Martin Ulrich © August 2004.