Planning anything for Desi Moms Network can be tricky. With families raising children with disabilities, so many things are unpredictable.
Neurotypical families can plan outings weeks in advance. Our families don't always have that luxury. Things can go downhill without any warning. Plans can change in an instant.
Yet I keep dreaming. I keep planning.Because our families deserve these experiences, too.
Last year, I dared to dream. For the first time, I organized a group trip to Canobie Lake Park. It was a wonderful day and a huge success. But I also learned that the park was simply too big for our group.
This year, I wanted to try something different. So I chose Water Country in Portsmouth NH as our end-of-the-school-year celebration.
Planning started almost two months ago. The Water Country team was very helpful with all the questions, logistics and a group discount, but what meant even more was knowing there was someone on their team looking out for us.
I picked the last Sunday in June, hoping for a warm day. Had spots for 115 people. Two families had to cancel, two families from the waiting list happily took their places, and we were ready for a fun-filled Sunday.
The park opened at 10 a.m. Some families were waiting when the gates opened, while others arrived later. But timing didn't matter. Everyone came ready to enjoy the day.
One improvement from last year made everything much smoother. Our contact, Vicky, emailed each family their admission tickets ahead of time, so we didn't have to stand at the entrance waiting for everyone to arrive.
She also reserved a large picnic area for us—more than twenty five picnic tables surrounded by trees. That space became the heart of our day.
More than 115 people dropped off their bags, unpacked lunches and snacks, and came and went throughout the day. It became our meeting place, our resting place, our "Where are you?" place, our "Let's have lunch together" place, and sometimes simply a quiet place to take a break.
For most of these families, this was their very first visit to this water park.
Watching our village come alive was the best part of my day.
There was always another family to cheer someone on. Another child encouraging a friend. Parents took rides with their own children, with someone else's child, or alongside another family. Nobody felt alone.
It was laughter, splashing, cheering, and giggles everywhere.
The happy photos and smiling faces will tell the stories of the day. The children were completely exhausted—but almost none of them wanted to leave when it was time to go home.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect—not too hot, not too cold.
Some days, despite all the uncertainty, everything simply comes together.
Today was one of those days.
It reminded me once again that we are a village. And when a village shows up for one another, beautiful things happen.
it wasn't just a day at a water park—it was a day where no family had to do it alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment