not too long ago i volunteered with New Hope for Kids. New Hope for Kids is an organization that specializes in blending grief facilitation and intervention for children and families and granting wishes to children with life challenging illness in Central Florida.
the people involved in this organization are much more than just volunteers of a good cause. they're the parents, friends and mentors of these kids. they were a huge family that welcomed anyone with open arms. and the kids. by golly these kids have so quickly become people i will never forget and always look up to. i went in to this uncomfortable, uneasy and with bittersweet sympathy and left with nothing but smiles and lots of hugs. but despite how i left, i still felt a bit depressed and felt a new lesson to learn was hanging over my head.
our day was spent making arts and crafts, eating LOTS of pizza, taking tons of pictures and swimming. these kids are by far the coolest kids i've ever met (and not to mention wity!). it was during all this that it hit me. not every day was a day like this for them. a day of giggles and splashing water. this was almost an escape. an escape from the ordinary. for them to forget about their bigger, life threatening problems and have a worry-free day at camp. many of these kids (some not even kids, but much older than myself) looked as if there was nothing wrong. that they weren't faced with daily challenges...feats, if you will, that make our "horrible" problems of life going arwy look pety. then i started to think about when i wake up to a bad day, what it must be like to wake up to one of their bad days.
one of the girls that i was fortunate to spend a lot of time with suffered from cystic fibrosis, the second most common life-shortening, childhood onset disorder. cystic fibrosis causes your lungs to be obstructed with fluid, eventually becoming so severe, the child literally drowns. playing games with her, you would've never guessed a problem like this plagued her. but when i heard that she probably didn't have more than a couple years, i lost it inside. she was only 8.
i managed to hold everything in until i got home, but it was this here that made me realize something--that in more ways than i can name, they will always be stronger than i could ever ask to be. they are aware of their surroundings and of their own conditions and yet they can find enough strength to live in high, happy spirits day in and day out. and in that sense they will always be more blessed than any other person.
i've met and spent time with a couple of the kids mentioned in the children's wish section of the website, one of them being chelsey. if any of this happens to spark something inside you, then you can too:
www.newhopeforkids.com
anything you do helps, but remember that your time is most priceless. what i took from this is something i hold very dear to my heart. be happy that you woke up this morning. be happy that you have your health. be happy that you have people around you who love you. but most of all, be inspired to live. we take far too many things in our life for granted. i know i am nothing but guilty of this. but i have these kids to thank for being my new found inspiration:
forever grateful
-krystal
