Things aren't always what they seem. This is an excellent and brave book written by a close high school and college friend Vanessa R. She may not have wanted to write this story, certainly not lived it, but it represents a promise fulfilled not only to her daughter L. but also to the world. I had the opportunity to meet this special young woman at Country Kitchen in Highland Park for breakfast. I awkwardly paired her and her sister with my own children, whom they had never met so that I could catch up with her parents. It seems shortly thereafter, L. came down with Burning Limb Syndrome (BLDS); to put it in context, it provided her with constant, excruciating pain that exceeds the described pain of amputation without anesthesia. This is not simply a mother's story of love and resilience, but rather Vanessa's tribute to L.'s authentic and powerful voice. L. had the maturity to know she wanted to be remembered and positively impact the world. While she is no longer with us, I hope her legacy and poetry will spread to many more people.
