Warm Sun Shiny Days

No, it's not all that warm up here in the northeast weather wise, it's a true New England Fall Day as Colleen can attest to, and did , when we met up at the hospital to visit our friend.

But the Warm Sun Shiny Days? That's in reference to a few moments of sunshine today that I was lucky enough to experience.

On the way to the hospital I tried to get on the highway at my normal entrance, no luck, police officer at the end of the ramp and a back up of 20 or so cars at a standstill. I turn around, go down a few exits, try again, same deal. Attempt # 3 was nearly 10 miles from my original attempt, only 3 cars there but still the police are blocking the highway. I stay long enough to see that he is allowing cars to go once every few minutes as there is a massive convoy of trucks. UPS, Fedex, Mack, Firetrucks, Army trucks... When my turn comes I ask what the story was. Turns out it's the 8th Annual Wishes on Wheels convoy for the Connecticut chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation.

You wouldn't think a convey, many miles long, blocking access to hundreds of cars attempting to use a major highway in the northeast would warm the soul. But I can tell you it did that and so much more. As I passed truck after truck I started to notice the parents, friends, family and volunteers standing on the bridges over the highway all out in support of an awesome cause. To see so many people donating their time, and to realize each vehicle was helping to raise the funds to grant a very sick child a wish, it's pretty powerful.

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The other Sun rays?

The incredible smile on my friends face when Colleen and I joined her for a few hours this morning at the hospital. I haven't seen her infectious smile since before she went in the hospital. It was incredible to realize and see she's doing better. She's been told she has at least one and likely 2 more weeks to go before being released, but if the medicine continues to work and she grows stronger and continues to heal, she'll be on her way. They believe they've found the likely cause and have a treatment regiment she's going through. Monday marks the start of her 4th week in the hospital, that's a long ass time to be in there nowadays.

I was so worried going to see her today, not sure how she'd be holding up emotionally, her daughter's 1st birthday is today and I can imagine she's feeling so many emotions, not many of them the normal Happy 1st Birthday type of emotions. She was in surprisingly great spirits and I had a wonderful time being there for her on this day, letting her know so many people care.

It actually was really wonderful spending those few hours with her and Colleen (who herself is an incredible person I'm grateful to have met). We gave her a photo book filled with pictures of their trip to China to adopt their daughter just a few months ago, all of them from her blog before she entered the hospital. I was brought to tears watching her look at the book with so much happiness in her eyes, her voice, her smile. I feel fortunate to be a part of her life and to be her friend.

I'll close this out with a quote my friend Al sent me when he first heard she was in the hospital:

To the soul, there is hardly anything more healing than friendship.
Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)