My Sons' Hero
It all started when I canceled my cable subscription because I was tired of my children's minds being filled with garbage. We took out a subscription to Netflix so we could stream things that were truly family friendly. It's still hard to find shows that don't pollute our kiddos, but it's possible.
One of my oldest son's favorites is Hercules, The Legendary Journeys. I'm pretty sure he's seen them all now; actually, he might even have them memorized. He was the one who pointed out that some of the later shows don't have the title character in them as often – a fact that had gone completely unnoticed by me.
It was also through Netflix that we found the movie What If, which was a hit with all of my boys. When we watched the incredible movie Soul Surfer, all three boys were thrilled to discover it co-starred the man who had become their favorite actor, Kevin Sorbo. After the life-changing year my own family had in 2011, Soul Surfer was particularly poignant. It left my middle son inspired to use his second chance at life to help others – a lesson I hope sticks with him through life. But that's probably for another post.
It was at that point that my oldest son excitedly asked me, "I wonder if Kevin Sorbo is a Christian?" To which I replied, "I don't know, let's Google it." It sounds funny, but sure enough, the search turned up an article where the great Kevin Sorbo was sharing his faith. My boys were ecstatic. (They also instantly wanted to Google every favorite actors' faith, but again, that's another story.)
Our search also turned up that Mr. Sorbo recently wrote a book called True Strength, and that he would be in St. Louis soon to promote said book. I could tell by the look on my son's face that it would mean the world to him to meet his hero, so we splurged, and he and I had a rare chance to go out just the two of us.
The talk and book signing was last December, but the message is still fresh in my mind. It comes back to me on the days I feel like giving up.
Until the talk, I had no idea that the reason Hercules was absent from so many episodes towards the end of the series was because Kevin Sorbo had suffered three strokes from an aneurysm in his shoulder, leaving him partially blind and entirely incapacitated at the age of 38. During his presentation, he talked about his successes and failures, the impact of the strokes on his life, and gave the audience a glimpse into the man behind the image.
What I found was a likable human being who loves his wife and kids, has worked hard to get where he is – twice – and has sage advice for following your dreams. His talk encouraged me as a writer and dream chaser, enlightened me as a mother helping a child overcome a traumatic brain injury, and instilled in me a deep respect for my sons' hero.
The icing on the cake was the brief chance to meet Mr. Sorbo while he signed my oldest son's copy of the book. He was kind and patient with everyone, and that two minutes of talk time meant the world to my teenage son.
On a side note: I walked away with the handy tip to give out Post-its at book signings so people could write out the name they want the book made out to. It's surprisingly difficult to talk to someone and listen to how they want something signed – why did I not think of Post-it notes?
Sticky note brilliance aside, I highly recommend the book – and the talk if you find he's coming to a town near you. It's money and time well spent.
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