Christmas season is full of stories – from the classic Christian nativity to Sinterklaas to Saturnalia. The power of stories this time of year is what makes the season so special to so many, regardless of their background or creed.
Better still, a story doesn’t have to be an epic one to touch the heart.
Our front page this past Sunday, featuring North Vancouver ballerina Lucila Munaretto’s emotional return to the stage four months after an horrific roller-skating accident, is a great example.
This past August, just as the 21-year-old dancer with Pacific DanceArts was ready to realize her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer, tragedy struck on an Upper Lonsdale road, leaving her with a shattered jaw and pelvis and in a medically induced coma to relieve swelling of her brain.
But rather than wallow in self-pity and despair, she stayed focused, practising ballet moves while lying in her hospital bed and visiting her dance studio on very her first day out of hospital.
When her chance came due to another dancer’s illness, Lucila was ready to take the stage again – just under four months to the day after her accident and only three weeks after her return to the dance studio.
Her dedication, perseverance and joy for life, undeterred by tragedy that would render many despondent, is an inspiration to us all.
Feliz Navidad, Lucila, and thanks for giving us all a new Christmas story to remember.
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