Meeting Kap

Summer is nearly over and I can't help but feel like it's ending way too soon. I had so many plans that we didn't even get to. But we had a lot of fun; we swam a lot, went to Camp Taylor, to Portland and Seattle, we hiked, spent a ridiculous amount of time at the beach. By all accounts it was a great summer, but it just flew by.
We were able to put Josh's heart somewhat on hold this summer, meaning no major appointments or tests. Just a couple blood draws and phone calls did the trick.

People ask me regularly how Josh's doing and often the answer is 'great!', but there are always those random days that make me wonder.  In general, he's is doing well but he's struggles with fluid retention which has been a reoccurring theme over the past 4+ years.  Fluid retention is really a nuisance, it is very hard on his liver and backs his whole system up. In the past he's wound up in the hospital to help him over the fluid hump, but this summer we've been tweaking his meds here and there from home (following dr's orders of course).  Hopefully we'll get it right at home so we can avoid a hospital stay.

But on to more exciting stuff...
Over the summer our family spent a long 4th of July weekend at Camp Taylor and made many wonderful friends and memories.  It was such an amazing experience for Josh and the rest of us. I felt it healed wounds we didn't know existed. Our mentor, Kenny, was a perfect match for our family and we've stayed in touch with him regularly since camp. What a wonderful example he is to Joshua.

The folks at Camp Taylor were in touch with us last week and asked us if Joshua would be interested in attending a 49ers practice then meet Colin Kaepernick!!
Anyone who has met Josh (or has seen him, or has seen a picture of him) knows that Josh is a faithful 49ers fan and a huge Kaepernick fan!

So we jumped at the chance to make his dream come true.
You never know how these things will go. It could be Colin addresses the crowd with a "Hello, thanks for coming", or he could just nod at them as he runs into the locker room, etc.  I played it down a bit so he wouldn't be disappointed.

Well, turns out he was anything but disappointed! Colin greeted Josh by name (he had a name tag), he talked to him like a buddy. They shared a nice conversation, all while looking him in the eye and calling him Josh. He truly made Josh feel so special. My heart is so full knowing that his hero isn't just a football star, he's a caring, generous person who took the time to make difference.  I love him even more now!

Josh wrote Colin a little letter. He thanked him for having him out to practice, invited him to his birthday party & asked for his phone number. Ha! Kap was so nice to his little fan.

Everyone involved in this special evening was phenomenal; from the staff at Camp Taylor, to the players, the coaches and the Kaepernick family. All terrific people who are making a meaningful difference.

I don't have fame or fortune but I sure hope I can somehow give back in a powerful way, some day.
For all of the difficulties and hardships he's faced, this really does soften things and it brings so much joy!
I know this will never be read by anyone involved but I'm throwing my gratitude into the universe, saying thank you! Thank you!