fortunate

Today at the playground baby Doodle and I had the good fortune to hang out with a little girl who has a brain tumor. She's three. She's been in and out of CHOP since November. She had to relearn how to walk. She had a feeding tube for a while and is now eating regular food like a normal kid. She has a little brother who is 20-months old.

The whole family has been through so much over the past five months. I can't even begin to fathom what it must be like to be that precious girl's mother. They lived at the hospital for more than a month and lived at the girl's grandparents in New Jersey for a while, too. They're finally back home in East Falls, Philly, and they were at our park today.

I have been checking up on the girl and her family through a website her aunt updates weekly. The girl is walking around (with a bit of a limp) quite well. She is in good spirits and just being around her was inspiring. Her mother, too, seemed so put together. She has a great outlook on life, as does her amazing daughter.

I felt uplifted when I left the playground today.