Day 574

Benjamin slept a full twelve hours last night. Of course my mind was racing, and when he woke up I was staring intently at every bruise on his body, at his lips, at his eyelids. But he is fine. I know he is fine. He’s just tired from this fun summer we’re having, and from all the insane growing he’s been doing lately. He is fine.

We took a little road trip today to the nearest Apple Store to fix Benji’s iPod. In the car, Benji mentioned his Make-a-Wish Foundation opportunity. He’s brought it up several times recently. He knows it’s something that is available to him. I have been putting off making the appointment with the group for months. I think it’s because for me, it still has a sort of stigma attached to it, like it’s for terminally ill children, and that’s not Benji. He is fine.

But it’s not just for terminally ill children. It’s for children who have experienced life threatening conditions. And as my sister reminded me today, Benji certainly has earned it. There are donors that want nothing more than to make wishes come true for kids who have had to go through exactly what Benji has had to go through. So, as of today, the ball is rolling.

This evening I went to a local brewery with three women, including my sister-in-law and our sweet friend who is on treatment for breast cancer. When I saw her face, that familiar lump returned to my throat, but I pushed it down. I just wanted to love her up. We laughed–a lot–and tried to avoid talking too much about the hard stuff. I wished I could make it all go away for her. I know many people have wished the same for us. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have been with her, visualizing healing in her body and in her family.