Dear Keala ( & Hugh)
Where do I begin? The expression “thank-you” does not feel big enough to express my gratitude. While I know you did not write the song “This Is Me”, it’s begun to change my life and it is your performance of the song itself that I remember during moments when I feel like I stand out and feel alone.
It is then that I remember that I was born to stand out and I remember the way you walked while you sang that song. I recall how you danced with every ounce of confidence and oomph I’ve ever witnessed and I aspire to walk, sing, and live my life just like that.
It is a dream of mine to meet you and the cast from The Greatest Showman one day even just to thank-you in person. I channel my inner “Lettie” any time I feel like I’m stuck in the dark but need to be a powerhouse and a lighthouse instead. If I never get to meet you all, I hope you at least get to read this. I am forever thankful to all of you for reminding a woman like me with a disability that it is my differences that make me the most beautiful.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Leary
gretchenleary@yahoo.com
Gretchen Leary (McIntire) 