Charles Krauthammer, 1950-2018

When news broke yesterday evening of Charles Krauthammer’s passing, many, including some fortunate enough to have known him and many who did not, rushed to recall the columnist’s impact and praise his clarity, his insight, and his grace. But one story stood out above the rest, delivered by a young writer for Time, Nash Jenkins, in a series of tweets.

Jenkins’ father had always been a big fan of Krauthammer’s, and when he met his hero in late 2016, he posted a photograph of the encounter to Instagram. Jenkins recalls thinking how strange it was that he’d never realized Krauthammer was wheelchair-bound—so vital and unencumbered was his writing. Jenkins had little reason to think about this fact, however, until last year, when his father, surfing in Nicaragua, was hit by a wave, broke his neck, and severed his spinal cord. He remains paralyzed from the waist down, a terrible affliction for an active 56-year-old. As Jenkins’ father was struggling to cope with his condition, he received an email from Krauthammer.

“Dear Mr. Jenkins,” it read. “I heard about your accident. I’m so sorry. I enjoyed meeting you last year and am deeply sympathetic to your new and most harrowing situation. As you know, I’ve been there. I know full well how difficult things are at the beginning and often how hopeless they seem. I also do know what’s possible. And it turns out to be quite a lot. … I don’t mean to sugarcoat things. Life is more difficult with a spinal-cord injury. But the obstacles are not insurmountable. I know this is all scant consolation, and it is not really meant as that. It is simply meant to give you a different perspective on your future. Mine is from the rearview mirror. I know what actually can be.”

The letter, Jenkins continues, meant the world to him and his father alike. “I always wanted to thank Mr. Krauthammer for that,” he wrote, “and am ashamed that I never did. It was a voice of lucid hope at a time when my family needed it more than anything. I will always be so grateful for it. … I guess I don’t really care about his politics right now—there will be others to eulogize and critique. I’m writing this because Charles Krauthammer knew what to say at a time when virtually no one did, and he took the time to say it, and it meant so so much.”

Amen to that.