Kissimmee - Children

3/25/12

Day One Activities:
Serving families breakfast and dinner at the Gingerbread House
Playing games with kids at the SS Amberville Ship
Greeting guests and helping kids put up their stars at the Castle
Serving cotton candy and playing games with kids at the Candyland Festival
Painting nails at the La-Te-Da Spa
Running the Carousel

I like to collect moments in my life when my entire heart seems poised on a very small point, perilous drop-offs on either side, where things like my convictions, my worldview, and my arbitrary boundaries of thought are nearly obliterated —I define it as a sort of expansion through fear of change. It's almost like an extra awareness of being human, the kind that is only activated when one becomes aware not only of their own humanity—and that encompasses its victories and failures—but the humanity in others. I'm being overly philosophical, but I think the point I'm trying so hard to make is that there are some moments in people's lives that push them so far outside of themselves that, when they eventually remember that they are actually also an individual, when they re-enter their bodies, they are changed—anyway, that happened to me today.

At Give Kids the World today, I was stationed to volunteer at "The Gingerbread House," a place that served breakfast, bussing tables and carrying the families' trays of food to their tables. It was straight-forward, but, since their were somewhere around 150 families attending the park today, it was busy. Most of the time we volunteered consisted of carrying the trays. Some of the parents, at least, were reluctant to give us control, but we were persistent, and it paid off so generously. To see the faces of these parents light up, most of them parents of children with very serious and terminal illnesses, marked with worry and hard work, as we would say "Let me take that tray for you," was worth more than any words can express. Maybe I already explained it, though…this was one of those moments for me. To say I feel humbled is shortsighted. I feel undeserving and yet unbelievably grateful that I have been given this opportunity to lift a portion of these parents', these fellow humans', burdens. It's only been one day, but I've been so miraculously affected that it feels like it's been a lifetime.

-Cary

Coming into this trip, I knew there would be moments that would touch me, make me tear up or teach me something about myself. I did not expect, however, that the children would have such an impact on me within just the first two hours of volunteering. This morning, I got to volunteer in the Castle, which is already my favorite part of Give Kids the World. The castle is in the center of the park and is where each child brings their star. When a child arrives at GKTW, they receive a star to write their name on which will then be hung in a constellation in the star tower so that they or their family can come back years later, find it and remember the great times they had together at the parks.

After just a few hours of working in the Castle and taking kids around to each of the fun activities located inside, a little girl named Jess came in. Her father rolled her in her wheelchair, but she got up so she could make her star. After she made her star, she gave it to Stella the Star Fairy who will put it up at night (Jess will come back to the Castle tomorrow to find it in her constellation). After Jess gave Stella her star, she looked up at me, asked me my name, told me hers and reached her hand out for me to hold so she could lead me over to the king and queen thrones. Holding her tiny hand while she led me slowly over to the thrones, she told me I was going to be the king and she would be the queen. We played as royalty for a while before we headed back over to her family so she could head to Disney World for the day. There was a moment as we sat in the thrones, though, when she looked up at me with a smile. She looked very sick and weak, but it was the biggest, happiest smile I have ever seen in my life. It was looking into that incredibly happy face that made me realize how truly meaningful it is for us to be at Give Kids the World. All of these children, like Jess, are facing life-threatening challenges, and have been their entire life. But during this one week at Give Kids the World, they get to forget their troubles and be a kid for the very first time in their life – and we get to help make the magic happen.

I will never forget Jess. She is the reason we are doing what we are doing – to give kids and families hope to hang on. Her smile is one that I will never forget. She is stronger than I will ever be and taught me that you can find happiness in any situation. I didn't just tear up after she left, I cried. But it was the happiest cry of my life because I knew Jess was happy, and so were all of the other children at Give Kids the World.

-Caleb

With some luck, some love, a kiss and a wish, miracles CAN come true!