Beautiful Love Part 1

I've watched my oldest daughter go through the unimaginable. Recently I was put through another intense situation with my child that I wasn't prepared for.

I went to pick my oldest daughter up from school a bit early on her last day. I arrived knowing she had a crush on a boy who is equally disabled. My 14 year old daughter sometimes blushes when she talks about this boy. She’s known him since they were young and he’s one of the first names she mentions in the morning as we prepare her for school as she looks for confirmation that she gets to see him each day.

I was pleased this “boyfriend” India always talks about made her happy. I fostered the romance but assumed it was just a “crush” from a distance. I didn't fully understand the bond until India’s last day of school and it almost brought me to my knees.

As I walked into my child's classroom, I found her wheelchair that she can maneuver positioned next to her boyfriends. They were holding each other and clearly enjoying every moment; it was beautiful beyond words.

The joy of knowing my child had been given the opportunity to feel the happiness at 14 of having a boyfriend, the butterflies, the excitement; this love is a gift that most never experience. Especially considering both of these kids are trapped in broken and painful bodies yet have found happiness in each other.

Here is a photo from this day, nothing more need to be said and I’ll sleep a bit better every night to the day I die as the world has become a bit brighter for all of us.

(Not long after I'd posted this story, I was driving through the mountains with my daughter India. We were listening to music, enjoying the scenery and having a great time. 

Cellular service is very patchy where we were at 8,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains so the phone coming to life is rare; which I enjoy.

So when I heard my phone buzz it caught my attention. I pulled over to take a look and was taken aback by what I saw.  There were hundreds of responses to this post; they were beautiful.  

While my daughter was sitting next to me as I read the heartfelt responses to my post, a song came on the radio and the timing of it was indescribable.

I began to cry like I've not cried in a long time.  These were very bitter sweet tears. But of course my Angel asks me with a big grin on her face "why Daddy 'uhhh' (her word for cry)". Then she started laughing which of course made me start laughing.  So there we were in God's country, laughing like loons and enjoying that incredible day.

"Fall is here, hear the yell 
back to school, ring the bell 
brand new shoes, walking blues 
climb the fence, book and pens 
I can tell that we are gonna be friends 
I can tell that we are gonna be friends 

Walk with me, India B.
through the park, by the tree 
we will rest upon the ground 
and look at all the bugs we've found 
safely walk to school without a sound 
safely walk to school without a sound 

Here we are, no one else 
we walked to school all by ourselves 
there's dirt on our uniforms 
from chasing all the ants and worms 
we clean up and now it's time to learn 
we clean up and now its time to learn 

numbers, letters, learn to spell 
nouns, and books, and show and tell 
playtime we will throw the ball 
back to class, through the hall 
teacher marks our height against the wall 
teacher marks our height against the wall 

and we don't notice any time pass 
we don't notice anything 
we sit side by side in every class 
teacher thinks that I sound funny 
but she likes the way you sing 

tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed 
when silly thoughts go through my head 
about the bugs and alphabet 
and when I wake tomorrow I'll bet 
that you and I will walk together again 
I can tell that we 
are going to be friends 

yes I can tell that we are gonna be friends. 

... Jack White - The White Stripes