Something about the way her feet landed softly on the sheets in a black asphalt room caught one's attention. The vulnerability the teenager felt rapidly changed to another familiar emotion. At this point in time was absolutely nothing but a tangle of limbs on a bleached and now familiar field. She was placed in a hospital bed for a solid two months. What the word, "hospital" really said to her was, "I'm so young, and so, so scared, and I can't handle this. But, I have no choice. I should be a kid of all things right now. But, I'm not." Little did she know that she would soon experience this evasion that ultimately serves a great purpose and would change her life forever. A total stranger stepped into her life. The teenager thought, if this woman is anything like she was, she wouldn't dare glance at the the strangers who seemingly can't be helped. But, she wasn't. She introduced her to what she soon learned were the greatest people she would ever have the pleasure of knowing.
These people were a completely different species than she previously knew existed. One that were beautiful. One with kind hearts. They exemplified and embodied the true meaning of selflessness. People who were good people. They were ones that were tangible but also ones who are often overlooked.
The young girl was given the chance to no longer be captive to her dreams. She was given the chance to make a wish come true. Some have wishes and dreams of the American flag or their country's flag draped around their shoulders, of a perfect interview with sportscasters that capture the most perfect moment, of pumping their fists into the air victoriously when the clock shows a new world record.
The teenager was me. My dreams were certaintly not ones of holding a world record. I was thirteen years old with wishes that were anything but glamorous.
At first, I didn't know what "wish" I would want to be fulfilled. I just knew that I wanted my happiness back and something that my family could enjoy as well. Being 13 years old, my list consisted of meeting Taylor Swift, running down the hill with the Clemson tiger's football players, going to Hawaii, or going to Disney, SeaWorld, and Universal theme parks located in Orlando, Florida. After much deliberation, I chose to be a kid since it was something I couldn't be for a few months. That being said, the time I spent at the theme parks were undeniably some of my favorite times. Thanks to Make A Wish foundation.
My identical twin sister was also given the chance to fulfill her wishes. She opted to have a room makeover as she had also dreamed of having a bedroom separate from mine. Even though it was her wish, I also benefited from it. Our rooms and our bathroom were given a total transformation in a week's worth of time. Throughout the entire highly anticipated week, we were introduced to person after person who all didn't know a thing about us or had a reason to do something for us - especially at this magnitude.
Make A Wish grants more than wishes. They gift families with a chance to be "normal" and create friendships that can't be replaced. Make A Wish gifted me which relationships I will forever cherish. They gifted me with experiences that makes me smile just thinking about them.
My sister was given more than she ever thought existed. It has inspired my twin sister to pursue a career in non-profit. While two wishes were granted, relationships were also created, and lives were given back to their rightful owners. Make A Wish foundation allows children to be kids and dream just about as big as they would like. But, not only that - we were also granted a whole new perspective and realized what good people the world has. Our rooms were transformed but so were we. For that, I'm eternally grateful.
