From Here to There

An Ambitious Adventure in Life, Style, and Everything in Between

Breathe In Breathe Out….

November 13, 2010

Breathe in and breathe out. That’s all any of us can do. Today has been a great day and I couldn’t have asked for more. I mentioned early last week that the ball was officially rolling on my documentary and I had been able to meet some amazing kids on Floor 5 (Oncology) at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

I talked about a boy I met that was suffering from a rare form of reoccurring brain cancer. He and his mother were kind enough to let me in to their home today just to hang out and talk about the ups and downs they have been going through as of late. As I said before, I am intentionally withholding his name for privacy’s sake. But, I can’t wait for you guys to meet _____ and the family in the final documentary. The word amazing just doesn’t measure up. His mother will most likely be embarrassed when she sees me bragging on her like this. But, I can’t help it. From what I have been told, every parent, child, and family member handles this journey differently. Because no one person is the same. No one situation is the same. But, I can’t help but think that this family is doing something right. They don’t walk around depressed or shaking their fists at the sky. I wouldn’t blame them if they were. But, instead they are grateful for everyday they spend together. They’re overjoyed at the idea of teasing each other and making plans for tomorrow and the next day and the next day…..in hopes for a better test result, a respite from the battle, or a glimmer of hope in a new trial or treatment.

My only hope is that this family’s beautiful spirit and especially _____’s unfaltering determination will shine through in the documentary. I am so glad that this boy has worked with Art With a Heart. He is too, practically glowing when he talks about them and urging funding for it every chance he gets! He’s just so passionate about helping others at a time when it would be perfectly reasonable to be selfish! I admire his positivity. As I said in my last blog, I am thrilled to be doing something with purpose my senior year of college.

This entire process has already been life altering and everyday is a little piece of my journey with this organization. Every time I meet another child battling through this, I feel like I’m peering in on an intimate struggle. At first, it was very uncomfortable because I was tiptoeing a thin line between violating privacy and getting what I needed to tell a story worth telling. But, everyone has been so amazing to me and they each have a story worth telling. It becomes more and more personal to me everyday and I feel like I need to take a good look in the mirror before climbing into bed each night. I examine myself, embrace the good, and weed out the bad…..and breathe.