I went to the ALS site and saw the picture of Stephen, No doubt carefully chosen to show that he was alive and LIVING, not set up like a ton of concrete in his wheelchair. Strange winds blow at times , today I was going to drive over to another town to get an old wheelchair from a friend whose dad had ALS. I fell down horribly on the porch just before getting into the car. Now you remind me that those with advanced ALS do not even get the chance to get up and drive, in fact , many of them can't even get up to fall. So my legs and arms hurt, I should be glad that I can feel my arms and my legs at all, hurting or not.
So have your grief time, with your fantastic friend, but forget his disability quickly, for now he is reaching out to say that it's alright, and prayer now is for the others in his place. Each one of us who passes on leaves another reason those left, to "fix our lives up" and "make a better world". Is is not only the sick that die, it's just the sick realize that they are dying a little bit every day.
I always thought that my God would grant me that "best" way to die, no pain, and while sleeping. But the more I rage against the power of God turning away from the problems of the most evolved being on the planet; I have to walk away and wonder if one person's life means a difference. And then I am hit by the opinion that we are not a planet of single people, but instead a single planet full of different people. And if you give of yourself, (in any way), than you are giving to all of us. So thanks Stephen, forwhat you gave to us all.