Special Weekend

I found myself at the campuses of Boston University and Harvard University this weekend. Friday afternoon I crammed myself into a car with 5 other people and headed in the steady ebb and flow of 5pm Red Sox/Mass Pike traffic heading into Boston. We were on the edges of our seats with erratic drivers, lost tourists and pissed off commuters. But we arrived to Boston to meet up with my dad for the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics: Summer Games.

Boston University was the housing station for numerous athletes, coaches and families. It's athletic arena was the birth place of all the festivities and ceremonies for the weekend. There were teams from all over Massachusetts. They received a full color guard, a singer and amazing band for the ceremony. The seats were full and so was the floor with only a part of the group that would be watching, competing and coaching/volunteering.

Oaths were read, the games were opened and the athletes danced and socialized with each other and opened the games with a bang. The group Recycled Percussion led us in dancing, singing and a good tune. They signed drum sticks, CDs and T-Shirts. We left the arena tired and happy and anticipating the games the following morning.

At 7am this morning my mother and I met up at a friend's house to head to the games. I have known Lori since middle school, having been in her girl scout troupe and having completed school with her daughter Sara. Lori and my mum had become friends through dance at CCS and have been close ever since. Getting to know her family brought along the joy of knowing Heather. Lori's youngest child. Heather is 14 and has Down Syndrome. She is always the life of the party, the flirt, the joke teller and the first one to make herself known. She's always happy, always speaks her mind and always does her best.

Heather and I are best friends. I'm also apparently going to Greece with her...as well as California and Disney World. She showed me off to her friends and coaches and didn't even care about her medals. It's like looking into a different world...


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