Mom and Dad had some friends that they used to hang out with. Heather had a small dance/gymnastics studio. Dad asked Heather if she would teach Lisa dance, to help her improve her coordination. Heather told him that she didn't have room for her at this time, but that she would keep her in mind. About a year later, their paths crossed again and Dad asked her again and she told him that she didn't forget about Lisa.
Heather invited Lisa over to her house and worked one on one with her. Lisa wasn't good at dance, it held no interest for her. So Heather did a forward roll in her living room. Lisa just laughed. Imagine being a little girl watching a grown-up do a somersault! Heather wasn't getting anywhere with her. But she did not give up. Heather has a daughter Kim, about Lisa's age and asked her to do a roll. Kim did it and Lisa followed suit! There!!!! Heather had found something that Lisa could do, and it was all because she saw another little girl do it. This was going to lead to something HUGE for Lisa, something that was going to change her life.
I asked Dad about memories he has of Lisa, when she was little. He told me a story that I had never heard before. I had Karen go get her video recorder so we could tape it. He sat a little taller and began his story.
When we were living on Olive street Dad had someone come over and fix the roof. He was up there repairing the shingles and he looks over, and there is Lisa! She climbed up the ladder, 2 stories high and he coaxed her to him so he could carry her back down. Dad was laughing when he told us this. I can't imagine how Mom would have felt, mad, irritated, at herself for not keeping an eye on her. Dad says that she was fast.
He also told us that when Lisa was little, she dragged her right foot. I never knew that. She would walk behind push toys because her balance was off and she would always be pushing something. Dad bought her some Keds tennis shoes that have the rubber lip over the toe. She had them for exactly 1 day and when he got home there was a hole on the top of them. The way he described it, he couldn't believe she did that in 1 day. I had no idea she dragged her foot.
