Ice Cream Party

On Tuesday night several of my Team in Training teammates and I went to our local children's hospital to take ice cream around to the Leukemia and Lymphoma patients and their families.  This being a Children's Miracle Network Hospital, I have volunteered at the radiothons held yearly in the lobby with Phi Mu (our national philanthropy) and visited patents, but had never been to the cancer floors.  We split up into two groups to visit a couple of floors. Our floor had about ten rooms to visit with children ranging in age from under two to fourteen.  And let me tell you those were some of the most polite and cheerful people I have seen in a long time.  They are going through an incredibly tough time right now, and while I am sure there are some low times,  they were all in remarkable spirits.  Especially Happy.  That is what his grandmother was calling him and it fit.  When we finished our rounds Happy was starting his play time.  It was time to walk around and play and boy did he.  He flitted around from corner and activity in the play room and then we helped him shoot some baskets for a bit.  He is around three/four and I am sure he has no idea what is happening and why he has to have IVs and other equipment hooked up to him but he is dealing with it.  He is living his life.  That is what I am taking away from this visit.  We all have things we are dealing with, and we develop tunnel vision, and can only focus on that issue.  I want to focus on the whole.  Let the little things go and be grateful for all that I have.  I hope everyone got a little joy out of our visit.  I know that I definitely did.