Go Gabby Giffords! Positive Update!

The Congresswoman continues to defy and defeat the aggression of the (possibly) insane Tucson assassin from this past January, by her perseverance, according to reports by the AP.  This woman is an incredible example to all of us in how to endure and triumph in the face of incredible challenges and adversity.  That her husband could go forward with the challenges of his job, while demonstrating such devotion to his wife, is a credit to both of them.  It touches all of us.

Until Congresswoman Giffords returns to her place in the House of Representatives, and until the legal process is concluded, I would like to call the attention of Penigma readers to the black and white loop of ribbon in the photo posted in the upper left of this blog, in solidarity with Gabby Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly.  Both remain in our prayers, and we hope, in yours as well.

from the AP article:

She speaks most often in a single word or declarative phrase: "love you," "awesome," those close to her said.

There were hopeful language signs even in March when Kelly said Giffords learned about the people killed during the Tucson rampage Jan. 8.

Kelly said he was reading a newspaper story about her out loud when she noticed he skipped a paragraph. That paragraph told of the casualties in the Tucson shooting — news that set Giffords grieving.

"So many people, so many people," Giffords repeated. Poteet said she would find Giffords with heavy looks on her face, repeating "no-no-no-no-no."

For that reason, Kelly said he hasn't told her that the victims included her friends and colleagues Gabe Zimmerman and Judge John Roll, or a 9-year-old girl, and three others, the kind of older constituents she loves to help.

Kelly said he wants her to be able to process the emotions without fighting so hard for the words.

"The challenge is she knows what she wants to say, and she knows everything that's going on around her," Carusone said, but can't always express it.

The Republic reported that Kelly comes in the morning with coffee and the newspaper, heads to work at NASA, and returns to Giffords at night to talk. Sometimes, he takes a nap with his wife in her hospital bed, holding her close.

When he comes into the room, Giffords breaks into an oversized smile, Poteet said, reaching out her good arm to beckon him to her side, give him a half-hug.

Though doctors have not yet approved the trip to Cape Canaveral for the shuttle launch, they said it should be safe.

"We're very comfortable with her traveling," said Kim.

Kelly, who has been to space before, said his job "will be a little bit harder this time, just because I want to look out for her."

He intends to phone Giffords during the mission, but he expects the conversations will be different than on his last flight.

Now, he will ask her "how things are going and how she's doing and what's her day like," he said.

They have a particular phone goodbye, "but that's a secret," he said.

My hope for Kelly and Giffords is that she has minimal memory of the actual events to overcome in her grieving, and as close to complete physical recovery as is humanly possible, which seems likely.  I wish them as speedy a return to normalcy as they can achieve.

Cartoon originally published January 27, 2011, but as applicable today: