Special Wishes and Dreams

April brings a third birthday in heaven for my son, Jay. Two and half years of missing him sing, dance, laugh, tease, hug and call out, “Mom!” And today, I’d like to honor my son with a favorite birthday memory.

Jay was born with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease. Year after year, he was given a devastating prognosis. But Jay never listened to the “doom and gloom” reports and went right on enjoying life to its fullest, outliving all medical predictions. I call that a miracle! 

Along the way, God granted some fun wishes and dreams. One took place on Jay’s 30th birthday. We planned a huge party for this milestone, but puzzled over a gift for this momentous occasion. Finally, I asked Jay what he wanted. His answer surprised me. 

One of Jay’s favorite things at that time was a daily trip to Sonic for a Coke. No hamburger and fries. No ice cream. Just a medium-size Coke. And on his 30th birthday he wanted a limousine to pick him up and take him to Sonic for that Coke. He got it! As we rounded the drive-thru in that limo, Jay called out his order to the driver as if he had been raised in the lap of luxury.

So why is this a favorite memory? Because Jay dared to dream during those years that doctors thought he would never survive. He made wishes that might seem unusual to some, but he never let anyone or anything rob him of his zest for life.

Perhaps someone reading this needs to make a wish or dust off old dreams. Maybe you should dare to dream new dreams. I love the lyrics to a song in the animated movie, Cinderella. It says, “A dream is a wish your heart makes…”

So, are you ready to make a heart-wish? 

Do me a favor. Make one in honor of my son. And like Jay, never allow anyone to steal your hopes or dreams. In fact, you could send me an email to let me know you made that wish. And who knows? We just might see you at Sonic in a limo!