Alan Coleman

Firmly in His Hands: Smugs and Hooches, Dink Alan Coleman

Americans are fascinated with stories that showcase the strength and resilience of the human spirit. We love to learn about people who overcome adversity and triumph over seemingly insurmountable challenges. We love to witness the answer to the question, "How could a person possibly deal with that?" We are especially touched when the people involved in these stories are "regular, everyday" peopleperhaps because it implies that we, too, could survive if we found ourselves in a similar situation. Firmly in His Hands is that kind of story. In January, 1998, my wife, Dink was diagnosed with a degenerative, terminal disease. We knew immediately that, short of divine intervention, she would only survive a few years and in the end she would require full-time, complete care. But Firmly in His Hands is not about her disease and death. It's about our life. It describes how a couple of ordinary people confronted an extraordinary situation and the approach we followed as we continued our day-to-day lives while the disease progressed. It demonstrates our discovery of that empowering strength and resilience of the human spirit and it presents valuable insights for others who face challenges that seem larger than life.