Hit Hard: One Family's Journey of Letting Go of What Was--and Learning to Live Well with What Is

Clarity. That is what this book brings to those searching for meaning in the midst of loss and suffering, or for those who feel caught up in a story that has no last chapter. Bob Swenson , ex All-Pro linebacker, Denver Broncos; founder of the Freedom 58 Project This book is riveting. I could not put it down. Pat and Tammy McLeod share their story of being "hit hard" by their eldest son's head injury in a high school football game. With twists and turns, their story moves from sadness to joy and back again, but always informs and provides hope. While this book is about a child who is brain injured, it will be helpful for anyone coping with losses of any kind. The awful challenge is to embrace change--especially a change we loathe. In Hit Hard, the McLeods share their journey of how, with faith and dignity, they are coping with loss. I recommend this book not only for professionals but also for those who want to learn how to live with loss of any kind, clear or ambiguous. Dr. Pauline Boss , Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota; author of Ambiguous Loss and other books A stirring and inspiring story about loss, grief, love, and faith. Pat and Tammy McLeod have much to teach us all about the meaning of ambiguous loss--how they let go of the son they once knew and learned to embrace the son they have today. Ben Bradlee Jr. , former Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at the Boston Globe; author of The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams, and The Forgotten: How the People of One Pennsylvania County Elected Donald Trump and Changed America The McLeod family has been on a remarkable journey. By sharing the highs, the lows, and the unvarnished truth of their son Zachary's serious brain injury, they invite us all to reflect on finding meaning in tragedy, coping with a new reality, and discovering the depth of a family's love. Chris Nowinski, PhD , cofounder and CEO, Concussion Legacy Foundation; author of Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis Spiritual, riveting, compassionate, loving, cathartic, and so much more. A must-read for every parent and parent-to-be. Dr. Robert C. Cantu , Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology and Cofounder of the CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine Clarity. That is what this book brings to those searching for meaning in the midst of loss and suffering, or for those who feel caught up in a story that has no last chapter. -- Bob Swenson, ex All-Pro linebacker, Denver Broncos; founder of the Freedom 58 Project Prologue Pat My wife, Tammy, and I had fallen hard for Montana in the years we lived and worked there. Everything about it stirred our senses. The mountains, wide spaces, fresh air, piercingly blue sky, and pristine lakes stretched our legs and our souls. It added to our joy that our children--a girl and three boys--appreciated the beauty and all it offered as much as we did.After we moved to Boston, returning to Montana for vacations felt like being back home, in a place where we could look out the window and see not a bustling city, but a bald eagle soaring over a glassy lake, or the moose our son Zach nicknamed "Old Mangey" pruning our willow trees around the cabin, or the black bear that pillages our raspberry bushes and once climbed onto our porch swing to peek in at my mom while she was in the bathroom.xa0Montana--even for short visits--afforded us everything we needed to thrive as a family. Togetherness. Exploration. Time and room to wander and ponder. Physical challenges that strengthened muscles and relationships. Serenity that seeped deep into our souls.xa0Until the day the storm hit.xa0Five-year-old Soren and his ten-year-old brother Zach had begged their grandpa to let them spend a little more time fishing from the dock while he went up to the cabin to clean fish. Tammy and I were attending a wedding. Chelsea and Nate were away with their cousins.xa0A Montana storm came out of nowhere, tossing a small aluminum fishing boat tethered to the dock and threatening our two sons standing nearby. The boys' grandparents were unaware what was happening until their heard hail pinging against the roof. Then clunking teh roof. Then pounding on it.xa0Peering through the storm, they could barely see the dock, and no one hustling up the incline toward the cabin. All they could see and hear were a machine-gun barrage of hailstones and a sudden jarring thunderbolt.xa0The crisis was over by the time our family was reunited. My mom and dad, however, were still shaken. As my dad related details of the incident later, I felt every emotion, every surge of adrenaline that I would have if racing through the storm to reach my sons.xa0Tammy wrapped her arms around five-year-old Soren as if he were still shivering. I fist-bumped his protector, Zach, who acted as if heroism was no big deal.xa0"Way to go, buddy. Way to look out for your little brother."xa0The calm I hoped I projected didn't match my pounding heartbeat. Neither boy was seriously injured. But I knew from my own childhood that a Montana hailstorm can kill livestock.xa0It could have ended differently.xa0The boys scrambled off the exposed dock into the boat. Soren had curled into a ball at the bottom as Zach threw life jackets over him, then hunched over his brother, shielding Soren from the pelting hail. It's as if Zach hadn't even considered his own needs in light of his brother's.xa0It didn't surprise any of us. It was so like Zach.xa0As the storm clouds on all fronts cleared, Tammy and I leaned into each other. My wife sighed against my chest.xa0"I think we should probably forgive Zach for that stunt he pulled last week with the four-wheeler," I whispered.xa0"Already did," Tammy said.xa0Holding her in that moment reminded me how blessed we were to have each other, these four unique children, and the adventure of watching them discover their place in the world.xa0Five years later, we were hit hard by a different storm. We weren't there to see that one strike either. From the Inside Flap In times of crisis, every relationship becomes an at-risk relationship. Life hit Pat and Tammy McLeod hard when their son Zach collapsed on a high school football field; he had sustained a severe brain injury. Facing the devastating possibility that things would never be the same for their beloved son, they committed to staying strong as a family and finding a way to maintain their footing. But the process would reshape their faith, their family, and their future in ways they never saw coming.xa0 What would it take for them to navigate the endless fallout of their son's life-transforming injury? How could they reconcile their grief over the life Zach lost, with gratitude for the life that remained? And how does a couple move forward together in their search for hope, rather than letting indefinable loss drive them apart?xa0 Hit hard is the true story of the McLeod's journey through ambiguous lossu2060--both having and not having their son. It's the story of a family who faced unexpected heartbreak, a story that offers us all glimpses of how we can pick up the pieces, redefine expectations, and trust God for hope in the midst of unresolved pain. Pat and Tammy McLeod serve as Harvard chaplains for Cru, and interdenominational Christian ministry. Tammy is also the director of college ministry at Park Street Church in Boston. She received her master's degree in spiritual formation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Pat holds master's degrees in theological studies and science and religion, and a PhD in practical theology from Boston University. He and Tammy have been have married for more than three decades and are parents to four grown children. Read more