Model Obama should follow

After President Obama repeatedly and emphatically promised last summer that Obamacare would not use federal funds to pay for abortions (and even signed a supportive presidential order to boot), last week it was revealed that federal funds were being funneled to provide for abortive services in Pennsylvania and New Mexico.

This presidential lie is tragically just one more in an unprecedented string of flat-out falsehoods reaching back to Obama's campaign promise to "clean up both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue" with "the most sweeping ethics reform in history." He repeatedly declared then that "an Obama administration is going to have the toughest ethic laws of any administration in history." Really?

And the question that keeps coming to mind is: What about the kids across the nation who have so uniquely looked up to this relatively youthful president? What are they learning from him? Does Obama naively believe that they will never overhear their parents discussing his array of presidential lies?

What happened to the days when presidents, and even those like sports stars, were role models?

Maybe it's time even our presidents looked up to some new examples of decency and integrity.

I've got just such a person in mind, and he will always be one of my models and heroes, despite that he died just Wednesday: 12-year-old Cody Ty Humphries.

Cody was one of several Make-A-Wish Foundation kids and their families who visited my Texas ranch in the same month that Obama was elected, November 2008. Though all the children were certainly special and a great blessing to my wife, Gena, and I, Cody stole my heart. He was only 10 years old then.

Chuck Norris with 12-year-old Cody Ty Humphries

Cody was born on March 13, 1998. He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, which eventually crippled nearly every part of his little body and spawned a series of progressive deteriorations that would ultimately lead to his death.

All of the precious children visiting my house that day had a wish to meet me, for which I'm humbly honored. I found out later that Cody waited two and a half years to meet me. The Make-A-Wish Foundation asked him for a second wish, just in case they couldn't fulfill the first, but he replied, "I don't have a second choice. You need to ask him. I have to meet him, because I am running out of time."

Cody was so proud that his birthday was only three days after mine. As with the other kids, Cody petted our ranch animals and even rode my horse, though it was painful for him to do so.

I was so impressed by Cody that I asked him if he wanted to see my Western collection. He was particularly thrilled to see the Uzi that I used in my "Missing in Action" movies. I gave him a Western belt that I received from President Ronald Reagan. And I also gave him one of my authentic Texas Ranger badges.

Cody's stare was piercing, and his eyes sparkled with his love for life and others. What he was incapable of doing with his body, he made up for in his heart and mind. He was an amazingly mature, compassionate and bright young man for his age, no doubt in part from enduring what he had for his decade on this planet. Yet, he maintained his childlike innocence and was honest to the core. He saw the good in everyone, and nothing got him down, even his muscular dystrophy. Even as his condition declined, he adapted and always maintained his optimism. He once said that "love and friendship was something that you could take with you for all time."

As Cody left that November day, Gena and I gave him a big hug. But he wanted to give me one of his "pat-hugs." Because he was incapable of putting his arms around people, his mother lifted his arms around me, and with his palms resting on my back, he moved his fingers slowly up and down as much as he could to extend his love to me. (I was told he rarely gave pat-hugs.)

A year ago last June, I was speaking with him on the phone and we expressed our love for one another. Then I told him that when we both got home to heaven, he would be my first martial-arts student there!

The last year and a half was not easy for Cody, with his constant deterioration and battles with pneumonia among other things. Believe it or not, Cody never complained and went through every day with a smile on his face, even up until his last breath. Cody was one of the most courageous young souls I've ever met.

Last week Cody's mother, Dee Dee, described a dream he had just before he passed on.

Sunday before last, Cody's mom held him on the couch as he slept. He later told her that, as he was sleeping, he was also standing with his grandpa, Gary (who died five years ago), both dressed in white, watching his mom hold him on the couch. Cody told his grandpa that he wasn't ready to go and that he needed a couple more days. Later, Cody told his mother, "I just want you to know that I love you and that the next time Grandpa visits me, I'm going to go with him."

Late the next day, Cody said he wanted to hug his mom, and so she placed his arms around her. He held her for about 10 minutes, then whispered, "Mom, I'm going to pass away – I love you, and I'll see you again when it's your time to come home."

At 5:15 a.m. the next day, Cody departed his earthly body and went to his heavenly home.

Now you see why Cody stole my heart – and why I think we all should emulate those young brave souls like him. Of course, Cody is not alone. There are many small heroes all around us – maybe even in your home or community.

His mother, Dee Dee, shared with my chaplain, "Cody was always very close to the Lord. He never questioned God or why he was created that way. He never blamed anyone, but he did wish his body could do certain things – and looked forward to heaven when it could. He lived every day like it was his last. He would even force himself to stay awake for extra hours every day just because he wanted to live each day to its fullest."

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14).

He also said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).

Maybe it's time to quit asking the kids to learn from us, and it's time we learned from them. Maybe we should be more concerned with growing down rather than growing up.

Maybe even the president would be a better man and leader if he did.

Maybe we all would.