Gladiators
After a summer absolutely packed with tubing, castles, mountains, snowball fights on glaciers, swimming in lakes and rivers, bows and arrows, do-it-yourself theatre, briscola and more pizzas than you could stuff into a minivan, Lio returned home tanned and happy. A few days later he dived into school with pure delight, ready to tell all his friends about his adventures.
The pleasure he took in things this summer and his enthusiasm about what he’s seen and done are a daily tonic for me. The memories he created will serve him well in the months ahead when he’s wrestling with his leg-lengthening frame. Lio goes in for his big operation on Thursday of this week. It happens at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and I’m extremely confident in the surgeon Robert Hill. Lio’s doctors back in the States are happy too and have told me that they know Lio is in very good hands and that this surgery at this time is absolutely the right thing to do.
Sadly one of the things he’ll miss during his ten days or so in the hospital is his class trip to Fishbourne Palace, the remains of a 2000-year-old Roman villa near Chichester. He really wanted to go with them so as an alternative I organized a little outing to Fishbourne with a couple of his friends from school last Sunday. The site happened to be hosting a re-enacted Roman village that day complete with Gladiator fights. The head-smashing hammers and the fake blood proved a little bit too much for me and Lio’s friends, but Lio didn’t seem to mind. After a pretend row in a Roman boat and some quite tasty (if garlicky) recreated Roman food the gore was forgotten and the kids were more interested in rolling down the two large grassy hills created when all the earth was moved during the archeological digs 40 years ago.
He is so enthusiastic about so many things (astonishingly so given all he’s been through). Whether it’s piano or Romans or singing or helping cook, Lio seems to have this almost magical ability to generate joy. I am grateful for this beyond words, and this disposition will certainly come in handy over the next 6 to 8 months with his leg frame (and the wheelchair and crutches that come with it). Please spare him a thought on Thursday the 24th as he takes the next big step on his journey.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I’m glad Lio had such a good time and is in good spirits. I’ll be thinking of him on Thursday. Best wishes.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
GOOD LUCK!! Be nice to the docs there!
September 21st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
We will be thinking of you, Lio, and should soon be visiting in the UK… In bocca al lupo!
September 21st, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Our thoughts and prayers will be with you on Thursday and we hope all turns out better then expected.
September 21st, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Nice one Lio!!!
Wow - who’d have thought you could fit so much into one holiday!!
Good luck for Thursday my little mate!
Best wishes and love from us all!
x
September 21st, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Good luck for Thursday!
September 22nd, 2009 at 4:32 am
Will be thinking of you on Thursday! Will say my prayers for your speedy recovery from your surgery. I am glad you had a nice summer packed w/ actions. U will have to keep us up to date on how your surgery went. I hope & pray all goes very well for both of you!
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Lio,
We enjoyed the week at the lake with you. We wish you the best of luck on Thursday and our prayers are with you. Hope to see you soon with your “super leg”.
Love Dorothy and Dick
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Ciao Lio!
It was great to hear your voice yesterday on the phone, but I really look forward to hearing your part in all the famous round of stories told by you and my children about all that ca–. . . well, let’s not write that on the website! We love you as always and look forward to more swims in Lago di Garda in the not so distant future. We will keep you close and send you lots of prayers and wishes as you go through another tough one. You are fortissimo!!! lots of baci!!! Lisa (for Sasha, Arianna, Zeno and Stefano–none of whom would insist on kissing you of course)
September 24th, 2009 at 2:03 am
Ciao Lio!
I will be sending super thoughts to you and for your Super Leg on Thursday! I LOVE reading about all of your adventures Lio, I love looking at the pictures and imagining all the fun you are having. One day I so very much hope to meet you. I live on an island and sail around the watery ways! I am in a big sailboat race this weekend, and I am going to pretend that you are with me, and we will be sailing FAST through the water ahead of all the other boats. I have named my boat “The Super Lio!”
Much love to you and your Dad,
Merry Mary
September 24th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Hooray for you and your super leg Lio, all will be well, and we will think of you REALLY lots tomorrow when you have your op. Your summer sounds wonderful and the photos are great. Lots of love from us all… always… and to your dad too! Hugs and loves
Nadia Dave Zahra-Claire and Naissy xxxxx
October 13th, 2009 at 2:14 am
Dear Martin & Lio
Hope that the leg op went smoothly and that the recovery is even smoother. We are all in California now and things are slowly settling down - kind of!
You look so gorgeous in all your pictures Lio!
Lots of love
Kelli, Patrick, Morgan, Noah & Joshua
November 4th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Dear Lio, dear Martin,
I am late with this comment but have never been late in thinking of you and the new trial you were going through. I have heard things are going well now and that you, Lio, are a super strong and super patient boy. I am very proud of that. I think of you as a modern gladiator; under this light, your wheelchair looks like a horse, and your crutches like swords. You will be the winner, I know, and one day you will discard both the horse and the sword because your enemy will be defeated. You will be then carried shoulder-high, and all of your friends will be happy to celebrate your triumph.
Much love to you both,
monica