08/03/11: A visit that reset perspective

This op-ed appeared in The Virginian-Pilot on the date shown.

IT WAS a surreal moment. In the middle of the vote on the debt ceiling, a smattering of applause began in the House of Representatives. In a matter of seconds, it overtook the entire chamber, as member after member stood, clapped and cheered.

It wasn’t the passage of the bill that precipitated this spontaneous show of unity — the voting was still going on. It was something else, something that even the CSPAN announcers didn’t grasp at first.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was in the chamber.

It was her first appearance in the House since that fateful day in January when she was one of 20 people shot — six of them fatally — by a madman. Doctors say about 90 percent of those shot in the head, like Giffords was, do not survive. Giffords more than beat the odds — and not only survived but thrived.

It was a smiling, waving Gabby Giffords who returned to the chamber, her long blond locks replaced with a short brunette haircut. Her colleagues mobbed her, making it almost impossible to see her. She came, she said, because “I had to be here for this vote.”

For a few minutes, there were no Republicans or Democrats, no supporters or opponents of the legislation. Just 400-odd people in a room, welcoming back a fellow representative. And thousands more watching this unfold on television. Social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, were immediately full of tweets and posts.

Everyone, it seemed, forgot about the vote. Everyone, it seemed, forgot about the acrimony of the past few weeks. Everyone, it seemed, was overwhelmed with emotion.

For about two minutes, we were all on the same page.

For about two minutes, we were all reminded that there are some things more important than politics.

Giffords’ recovery is not yet complete. She was released from a Houston rehabilitation hospital in June. Several weeks ago, it was reported that her communication skills were affected the most by the shooting. In an interview, her chief of staff said that Giffords’ speech is coming back more and more but that she is “borrowing upon other ways of communicating,” including pointing and gesturing. And it was reported that she rose from her wheelchair to greet her colleagues Monday.

She may never again be the vibrant 40-year-old she was before Jan. 8.

But the smile on her face Monday was enough to light up the room — and melt hearts everywhere.

How she cast her vote is irrelevant; after all, the bill passed 269-161, hardly a close vote. That she thought it was important for her to be there, to do the job the people of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District elected her to do, was what counted.

Giffords’ colleagues responded to her not only because she showed up but also because they respect her for her willingness to reach across party lines. She has been praised by them and her constituents for doing so. How appropriate, then, that her appearance brought them — and us — together.

“The Capitol looks beautiful, and I am honored to be at work tonight,” she tweeted after the vote.

Gabby Giffords is more than a survivor. She is an inspiration.