On November 1, 2010 a spirit entered our world. Melissa and I gave him the name of Harrison Everett Hudson. I refer to Harrison as his spirit because that is who I believe he was his spirit. You see many people looked at Harrison and saw his “broken body” and to be honest the first few days that is what I saw as well, but the I realized that Harrison was not his body because the things that he was accomplishing each moment you do not accomplish with a body or force.
Harrison was his spirit and he was radiating love, joy, peace, happiness and grace around this world. Harrison was busy transforming this world for the better, but you had to look past the obvious to see what was really going on.
As I contemplated writing “Harrison’s Story” for a few weeks I just did not know what to say. The obvious approach was to give a detailed account of how he was born, what his condition was, what the doctors said, how many procedures he had and how many hospitals he lived in. I could then go on about how difficult it was and is for me, my wife and our family, and I do not want to minimize the heartache that we feel, but I feel that all of these details are our interpretation of who we labeled Harrison to be, but I know that is not who he was.
The day the spirit of Harrison Everett Hudson came into this world was a beautiful day. It was a beautiful day because we were blessed with a teacher, a wise soul that only comes around once in a lifetime. From the first night in the hospital that Melissa and I realized Harrison was not a “normal baby” everything in our lives changed.
We laid in bed holding each other as scared as we have ever been, but we were holding each other and coming together as one in the face of the most intense fear we had ever felt. From that moment on we entered another state of being. It was game on, a life was at stake, and we were the keepers of that life.
There was no time to be negative. There was not time to sit in sorrow. There was not time to complain or think about how hard our life had become. There was a beautiful baby here with us that needed everything we had. When I realized this I also realized one of the most important lessons Harrison’s spirit taught me, I could either waste my time with him by looking at what was missing or I could spend my time being grateful for who he is.
It was this thought, and subsequent decision that I made, that opened my eyes to the beautiful, loving wise and giving spirit that was also known as Harrison Everett Hudson. From that moment on lessons began to appear before me each day. As we traveled back and forth from home to NICU for the next 16 weeks, three hospital and two states, and put 100% of our being into his life, and along the way we were able to witness just how powerful, magnificent, and amazing our little boy’s spirit was.
I can tell you stories for days of how he moved nurses to fight over him, and stay after their 12 hour shift was over just to be able to hold him. I can tell you stories of nurses letting their guard down and allowing this beautiful baby into their hearts like their own, holding him, loving him and staring at his beauty with admiration and joy. This for a baby who was “broken”, I don’t think so.
Harrison was not done there, he galvanized a community around his family to support us and love us, to keep us going when there was nothing left to give. He taught us what it was like to live life at 100% each day and be grateful for the blessing each and every one of us are surrounded with, if we only choose to see.
He taught us that when you stand open & honest in this world “Anything Is Possible”. He showed us that we are all at choice each and every day. We cannot choose all the things that happen to us, but we can choose how we THINK, feel and respond to them.
He showed us that this world is filled with so much love and good and it is up to us to be able to receive it. We don’t have to be desperate to be willing to receive the love and good that fills our existence, we just have to be willing.
Harrison’s spirit showed us the innate power that each of us possess within us if we only get out of our own way to see it. You see because Harrison’s body was “broken” he was able to do so much with the power of his spirit.
And finally as his time here with us came to an end he taught us the most valuable lesson of all: be grateful for ALL that is, and love life for it is a gift.
So when someone asks me about Harrison Everett Hudson and his story this is what I know to be true. Harrison was a spirit amongst our own, here to radiate light, love, possibilities, and all things good. So when you think of Harrison his story and our family please honor him by seeing these things in yourself, your neighbor, and this world.
With love and gratitude, Namaste!
The Hudson Family
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