christopher reeve

a super man has died.

i was surprised this morning to discover that i believe in heroes. i had previously thought those days were gone, stamped out by years of watching icons turn to clay.

then i read that christopher reeve had died, and that news has made me unexpectedly sad.

when i saw the first trailer for 'superman' in 1978 i was 17 years old. i distinctly remember the moment...i thought, "that is the best-looking man i have ever seen."

in bizarre fashion, i didn't become a fan until reeve broke his neck in 1995. from then on, though he was physically diminished, he truly became larger than life.

reeve set a high standard for personal and professional accomplishment...and for quiet dignity. he continued to act and to tirelessly advocate for spinal cord and stem cell research. his efforts gave new momentum to that research, and gave real hope to paralysis patients and their families.

he was in real life much more heroic than any character he ever played.

i wish he would be remembered as such.