Free Reading Post 1

For my outside reading I chose to read In a Heartbeat, the story of the Touhy family and their incredible journey through their lives as well as the taking in and adoption of their son, Michael Oher. The Touhy's have recently shared their story on another global level; the popular box office hit, The Blind Side. While the movie was the outer layer of their story, Sean and Leigh Anne Touhy decided it was important to let the country and even the world into the whole story about their trials, tribulations, and the importance of family and love. When I first saw the Blind Side, without a doubt I was moved by the story; it was a great movie as well as stacked with a cast who portrayed the family in a way that the audience couldn't help but love. However, I couldn't help but think that this family might have been too good to be true. Allowing a young black boy into your home without much knowledge about him or where he has come from, especially in the deep south and the community the Touhy's lived in, seemed like some sort of godsend. As I began to read the actual book written by the parents of this NFL superstar, I realized that this was no sudden act of kindness, but rather the same giving that Sean and Leigh Anne were used to. I was instantly moved by their message of giving as opposed to receiving and their ability to look beyond what is on the surface to find something beautiful.