An Embrace Without Hands: An Inspirational Story

A heartwarming and tear-jerking meeting recently took place between three-year-old Ruth Evelyn Frink and Jessica Cox, a 32-year-old American pilot. What brings them together is their shared experience of being born without hands. You might wonder how one can hug without hands. "You don't need hands for a hug," Cox says with a smile, "It's special that we both feel this shared sensation—what it means to hug without hands."

This unique encounter was part of a documentary about Cox, who has earned a Guinness World Record as the first pilot without hands. She has also achieved other remarkable feats like driving a car, playing the piano, and mastering martial arts. "You don't need hands to chase your dreams," Cox encouraged the adorable toddler known as R.E., saying in a motherly tone, "You can do anything. You just need to want it."

Well, the charming little girl indeed wants, very much, to succeed in life. "Even though she's just three, she's completely independent: she feeds herself the foods she likes and operates an iPad just like anyone else. She's even learned the art of picking things up with her feet, carrying them with her chin," shared the girl's mother. "It was important for me that R.E. meet Cox to help her overcome life's obstacles and know she can achieve all her dreams, even without using her hands."

R.E. and Cox in a touching embrace without hands

A spiritual point to ponder: After such an inspiring story, words are hardly needed to describe the power of faith. It's not just faith in Hashem, but also faith in ourselves—the combination of the two seems to be what can fulfill all dreams, despite challenges and setbacks. If Cox and many others like her say that the sky's the limit in what we can achieve in this world, both spiritually and physically, who are we to doubt it?!