We often make plans to do things and just when we’re ready to carry them out, life happens. That’s what Christine Scharmer told me once; she’s the author of this book. And life happened to her in an unexpected way that changed her plans drastically one night, seven years and a thousand lifetimes ago.

This book is about that night and everything that has happened since then. It’s the story of a young man’s miraculous recovery from death’s door. It is also the chronicle of a mother’s love for her son as well as the incredible journey she and her family have taken in “Raising Mario Twice.”

At the center of this story is Mario himself. The young man who is no longer the same person he was before the crash and who is now a walking testament to how one person can lovingly impact those around him.

I had the honor and privilege of editing this book for Christine and through that process became acquainted with the immense strength of character that she and so many of her family and friends exhibited throughout this ordeal. As her editor I felt that it was important to keep “her voice”, something that can be easily lost if a book is over-edited.

Christine has a great way of expressing herself and her narrative description of events will often reveal her inner thoughts and feelings in her own unique way. It was also important to keep the tone and quality of the chapter written by her son Miguel, whose eye- witness account describes the night that this horrendous event unfolded.

At the beginning of each chapter, Christine has included some passages of poetry that her son Miguel has written since the accident. These pearls of insight add great depth to the story. In some cases you’ll hear from Mario too, revealing the fact that there is so much inside of him that yearns to touch the hearts of those around him.

In the end, this book is about the miraculous healing power of love, the love bestowed upon Mario by his mother, his family and his friends. But it also about the ongoing impact that Mario has upon the people he meets and how the love that he shares with them changes their lives forever.

Gary Moring

July 2009