I have been hearing the name Andre the Giant for as long as I can remember. I had no idea who he was, but I had an inkling that he was some kind of wrestler. I also knew that he was in The Princess Bride, but I’d never even seen that movie until recently. And it was quite great, I must admit. And I really liked Andre in that movie.

So, when I saw that an Andre the Giant documentary was coming up on A&E, I put it on because there was nothing else on that I was very interested in. Besides, I was kind of busy and just wanted something on as background noise. Well, it really sucked me in. It wasn’t even a half hour into the show when I found myself sitting in front of my television, sipping tea, mesmerized by this big, gentle man who could drink several bottles of wine and cases of beer in one sitting and still be able to get up and walk out of a bar.

I learned about wrestling, something that I was never interested in. And I found it interesting. And I learned about a guy who was handed lemons, and able to make lemonade. Andre the Giant suffered from a hormonal disease that made him grow so big. He was teased, he had a hard time getting clothes and couldn’t seem to find his place in life until he discovered wrestling.

Andre quickly became a fan favorite, winning all the matches, while somehow still maintaining the image of one of the nicest guys ever. He overcame so many obstacles and endured so much pain because of his condition. Yet he still was able to be kind and didn’t seem angry with the hand he was dealt, even though he knew he would die young. And yes, I cried

I didn’t know anything about Andre the Giant when he was alive. He wasn’t even still alive by the time I saw The Princess Bride. But he was such a big man in every sense of the word. I think there are a lot of us that could learn about life and how to appreciate it from Andre the Giant. And that’s why he’s my new obsession.

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