The day I received the phone call
informing me Jayde had been granted a wish through Make-a-Wish, I began to cry
uncontrollably. No parent ever anticipates their child will become, at any
point in their life, a "wish child." My tears were mingled with
happiness, relief, and sadness. When you live in the medical trenches with your
child, you distract yourself with dreams of beautiful, far-off places.
Someplace where, for a brief moment, your child can escape the reality of their
life. Though this is just a dream, that is alright because a dream is a wish
your heart makes. Yesterday, we began our California Coast photography
adventure, compliments of Make-a-Wish and Jayde's dream.
This is Jayde's first flight. We
are all a little anxious - yet filled with excitement. Her hand is tightly
planted in mine; for a few moments, her anxiety gets the best of her. I lean
over my beautiful girl to look out the window at the clouds below us; she lets
out a giggle. All is well.
Our first day in California
was busy and eye-opening! Since we needed to leave the house at 3:30 am I did
not go to bed Saturday night. By the time we arrived in LA, I was
sleep-deprived and exhausted, but I did not want to miss a moment of Jayde's
adventure. We began with a champagne welcome at our hotel. After settling into
our room, we freshened up and headed to the Santa Monica Pier for dinner and
sightseeing. This place is unreal - there is so much wealth, yet so much
plight. As we drove from LAX to our Santa Monica beachfront hotel, I took in
the sights. Last night as we strolled from our hotel to the pier, I did the
same. This morning Chris walked to a little local coffee shop and brought me
back the most amazing avocado toast. He told me of a boy he saw on his walk,
younger than Jayde. The boy was holding blankets, a yoga mat, and a coat. The
sleepy little town we reside in is like a bubble,
sheltered from most of the realities of the city and the world. Drive south to
Baltimore, and homelessness abounds, but the homeless people we have witnessed
are not Baltimore's typical forgotten veterans or junkies. Here in California,
they blend into the scenery. Even if we were not spending a week in the lap of
luxury, being pampered, we know we have much to be grateful for in our life.
Proof, no matter how far you travel, some realities cannot be escaped.
Last night upon returning to our
hotel, a room service cart was waiting in our room with all our culinary
favorites. Jayde is enjoying being spoiled and is looking forward to her Wish
this afternoon. Until tomorrow we are off to do some more California dreaming.
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