Today's Story

My dear sweet friends.....for those of you who follow me on Face Book, you have probably already seen my status post, but I wanted to take the time to share it on my blog as well....


Our precious grandson, Tucker....has been away at camp all week long....CAMP ESPERANZA!  This is a week long camp that "Children's Medical" offers to the kids who now have OR 
who have in the past...had cancer.....


It is an awesome adventure for these kids and it brings about many smiles to each of their faces!!


This morning, I rode to Dallas with Trista (my pillow in hand) to pick Tucker up, as his bus was to return to the hospital around noon.


I could tell when he stepped off of the bus, that this had been a great week!  He was all smiles!!

He always has many things to share with us,  when he gets in the car, after a long week at camp.  Just this morning, I was reminded of a story he shared with us last year on the way home from Dallas....

Tucker told us about his fishing adventure and how he almost caught "netter"....a fish that he has been trying to catch for years.  Then he told us about a little girl that was in a wheel chair, but yet she wanted to catch a fish so, so bad...


Just so happens that Tucker had just snagged one.....but instead of reeling it in himself, he took his rod over to the little girl and gave her the excitement of bringing the fish in....He told us about the smile that covered her face and how she was so excited to have "Caught" a fish.


Well....on our way home today, I ask Tucker about this same little girl......I asked him if she got to fish this year....He said:
"No, Shug....she passed away this past year."  Oh my, my heart sank.


Each year, when the kids get to camp, they have a service in memory of those children who have lost their battle to cancer.
Tucker knew almost all of the kids who had passed on this past year.  


As my daughter Trista, (Tucker's mom) put it.....


"This is very hard on these kids, but it also puts life in perspective .....it's like a vapor"


Many of these kids are diagnosed around the same time, and they spend many hours sitting side by side during the course of treatment, whether they are receiving blood, chemo or other types of treatment....


They become like family.....they care about each other....they travel through the journey together.


I know that I have mentioned many times about how proud we are of Tucker, but today was just another one of those times when I realized the blessing that we have in him...


Last year, the only thing he knew to do was to help make this little girls wish come true....the wish to catch a fish....
But, he ended up giving her much more than that....He gave her a smile.....She in return Blessed Tucker by sharing the excitement of her joy!!


It is true....these kids are helping each other....they never know when they leave camp each summer, if they will ever see their friends again.  This is a great camp and such a great thing that the staff at Children's Medical does for these kids.


My heart was touched today!


Shug