Our World Needs A Cure...
Our world needs a cure.
It's been soooooo long since I've written.
Running the Boston marathon for Dana Farber was such an amazing experience that I'll remember so vividly, hopefully forever.
We all have these moments that are engrained in our brain. Moments that leave us so emotional and sometimes without words, until you can find the right words to say. Words that will do the experience justice. Words that will share something special. Words that will teach someone something. We've all collected so many moments like that.
And yesterday was one.
We spent the day at Boston Children's Hospital volunteering for the Mix 104.1 Cares For Kids Radiothon. We were asked to have this honor by our friends at the Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation. The Middlemiss' are part of the incredible family at BCH through their heartbreaking and inspiring journey with cardiomyopathy.
And they continue fighting in honor of their son Joseph and for his brother Jack, every single day.
We drove right into town, listening to the radiothon the whole way down, tears streaming behind my sunglasses listening to the stories of countless families at BCH. My own 2 children in the back seat listening intently as well. There was no technology. There was no arguing. There was just silence. And 2 kids each looking out a window at the big city I called home for 4 years on the same block as BCH, just listening.
When we pulled up I wasn't quite sure where to park so I asked a parking attendant who was the first of many incredibly kind people we met. He directed us to where we were supposed to go, but not before asking the kids if I was their sister, not their mom and winking at them so they'd say yes. He told my oldest that he was "the boss" and to always take care of us. I wanted to hug him but, awkward.
Later on I was talking to my husband about the day and I told him about the countless people who were like that. He was impressed but also said, "It's part of their job don't you think?..." But it's more than that. It seems as though it's part of their life. This man was standing out there in 92 degree heat directing Boston traffic in and out of BCH. He didn't have to take more than a minute with us, but he did. That's just who they are.
We parked on the very top of the garage in possibly the last available spot. As we so easily hopped out of my truck I was thinking, "Wow it is so hot today." I glanced over and watched a family so lovingly helping their child from their van and put him into a wheelchair and I thought to myself, "Don't ever say it's too hot again." We quickly grabbed an open elevator and shared it with 2 little ones wearing hospital bracelets smiling so widely at my kids who smiled so widely right back at them. Kids. That's what they do. We later learned that 66 kids had been admitted by that afternoon.
Once inside, the lobby of BCH is milling with families. Families who look tired. Families with so many questions. Families who need answers. And then there's the staff... There are Doctors and Nurses and Therapists and Directors and Custodians and Security and I'm certain I'm forgetting so many but they are all there doing their jobs but first and foremost, interacting as one big family. Interacting with such care and patience and kindness that you can't help but smile and want to hug them too. And thank them for their extremely difficult job that they do day in and day out. Some days I think my job is difficult, teaching 22 seven year olds, but seeing the Doctors and Nurses at BCH, I wanted to just stop and stare at them in awe.
We spent the afternoon in the Patient Entertainment Center with Mix 104.1 Cares for Kids. My kids sat and made bracelets and cards and pictures to hang on patient walls. They interacted with patients that came in and out throughout the day. They loved on some therapy dogs. They met Bella, a beautiful little girl who we later heard speak so eloquently on the radio and George her awesome service dog who has helped her to walk. They met some of the truly wonderful staff who complimented them on their behavior as they took the entire day in so quietly.
At one point I took my oldest over to see a a Dream Wall that held the dreams of the patients at BCH. Before I had him read them, I asked him to remind me of his own big dream.
I knew the reply before he even said it: Architect.
Then he read the dreams of the BCH patients...
To go home.
To be home and playing with my sisters.
To play football with Tom Brady.
No cancer.
A cure for diabetes.
To travel the world.
Running a marathon.
To be a nurse.
And...
World Peace
He looked at me for the longest time.
Dreams are so different for all of us.
Perspective is so incredibly different for all of us on a daily basis. But how often do we get the honor to see the dreams of others. To really see them. Or see life from their windows. Perspective that is so incredibly different from our own.
Or maybe we might find it to be quite similar.
The last one really hit me.
Outside the doors at BCH our world is falling apart.
And for one little one inside, their current dream is, World Peace.
That's all.
Because inside the walls at BCH they have that for sure. I was able to witness it. My kids were able to be a part of it. It was an experience we will certainly be honored to do again if asked.
Mix 104.1 Cares For Kids raised $604,000 for Boston Children's Hospital. That amount of money will help the BCH family in so many ways. And because of that and yesterday, I'll be speechless for a little while... Just a little.
Thanks for listening.
Now about that World Peace...
It's been soooooo long since I've written.
Running the Boston marathon for Dana Farber was such an amazing experience that I'll remember so vividly, hopefully forever.
We all have these moments that are engrained in our brain. Moments that leave us so emotional and sometimes without words, until you can find the right words to say. Words that will do the experience justice. Words that will share something special. Words that will teach someone something. We've all collected so many moments like that.
And yesterday was one.
We spent the day at Boston Children's Hospital volunteering for the Mix 104.1 Cares For Kids Radiothon. We were asked to have this honor by our friends at the Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation. The Middlemiss' are part of the incredible family at BCH through their heartbreaking and inspiring journey with cardiomyopathy.
And they continue fighting in honor of their son Joseph and for his brother Jack, every single day.
We drove right into town, listening to the radiothon the whole way down, tears streaming behind my sunglasses listening to the stories of countless families at BCH. My own 2 children in the back seat listening intently as well. There was no technology. There was no arguing. There was just silence. And 2 kids each looking out a window at the big city I called home for 4 years on the same block as BCH, just listening.
When we pulled up I wasn't quite sure where to park so I asked a parking attendant who was the first of many incredibly kind people we met. He directed us to where we were supposed to go, but not before asking the kids if I was their sister, not their mom and winking at them so they'd say yes. He told my oldest that he was "the boss" and to always take care of us. I wanted to hug him but, awkward.
Later on I was talking to my husband about the day and I told him about the countless people who were like that. He was impressed but also said, "It's part of their job don't you think?..." But it's more than that. It seems as though it's part of their life. This man was standing out there in 92 degree heat directing Boston traffic in and out of BCH. He didn't have to take more than a minute with us, but he did. That's just who they are.
We parked on the very top of the garage in possibly the last available spot. As we so easily hopped out of my truck I was thinking, "Wow it is so hot today." I glanced over and watched a family so lovingly helping their child from their van and put him into a wheelchair and I thought to myself, "Don't ever say it's too hot again." We quickly grabbed an open elevator and shared it with 2 little ones wearing hospital bracelets smiling so widely at my kids who smiled so widely right back at them. Kids. That's what they do. We later learned that 66 kids had been admitted by that afternoon.
Once inside, the lobby of BCH is milling with families. Families who look tired. Families with so many questions. Families who need answers. And then there's the staff... There are Doctors and Nurses and Therapists and Directors and Custodians and Security and I'm certain I'm forgetting so many but they are all there doing their jobs but first and foremost, interacting as one big family. Interacting with such care and patience and kindness that you can't help but smile and want to hug them too. And thank them for their extremely difficult job that they do day in and day out. Some days I think my job is difficult, teaching 22 seven year olds, but seeing the Doctors and Nurses at BCH, I wanted to just stop and stare at them in awe.
We spent the afternoon in the Patient Entertainment Center with Mix 104.1 Cares for Kids. My kids sat and made bracelets and cards and pictures to hang on patient walls. They interacted with patients that came in and out throughout the day. They loved on some therapy dogs. They met Bella, a beautiful little girl who we later heard speak so eloquently on the radio and George her awesome service dog who has helped her to walk. They met some of the truly wonderful staff who complimented them on their behavior as they took the entire day in so quietly.
At one point I took my oldest over to see a a Dream Wall that held the dreams of the patients at BCH. Before I had him read them, I asked him to remind me of his own big dream.
I knew the reply before he even said it: Architect.
Then he read the dreams of the BCH patients...
To go home.
To be home and playing with my sisters.
To play football with Tom Brady.
No cancer.
A cure for diabetes.
To travel the world.
Running a marathon.
To be a nurse.
And...
World Peace
He looked at me for the longest time.
Dreams are so different for all of us.
Perspective is so incredibly different for all of us on a daily basis. But how often do we get the honor to see the dreams of others. To really see them. Or see life from their windows. Perspective that is so incredibly different from our own.
Or maybe we might find it to be quite similar.
The last one really hit me.
Outside the doors at BCH our world is falling apart.
And for one little one inside, their current dream is, World Peace.
That's all.
Because inside the walls at BCH they have that for sure. I was able to witness it. My kids were able to be a part of it. It was an experience we will certainly be honored to do again if asked.
Mix 104.1 Cares For Kids raised $604,000 for Boston Children's Hospital. That amount of money will help the BCH family in so many ways. And because of that and yesterday, I'll be speechless for a little while... Just a little.
Thanks for listening.
Now about that World Peace...
