Circle of Friends Winter 2010 Trip: Day 4

I last left you hanging on the edge of your seat after I had just eaten breakfast. I teased you with the fact that I was going to be singing karaoke tonight but didn't tell you which song(s). More on the in a minute. This afternoon we went to the Trailmates Snowmobile Club near Wausau. The Trailmates do a great job every year and give the kids fun rides, great food, and a nice, little puppet show.

Group photos followed the snowmobile rides. Lots of great memories will be brought up when I look at those photos. Great kids and a great group of people.

As soon as photos were done the helicopter took off. This was the first time I had ever seen this and it was pretty impressive. The helicopter was maybe a hundred yards out and the snowball fight started. There was a lot of snow thrown, a couple face washes, and a few tears. no one was hurt though. Well, maybe Pete's pride was hurt since his kids are as big as he is and threw him around like such. Either way it was a great day at the snowmobile club.

Dinner was held at the Pine Ridge Supper Club. We had chicken, roast beef, corn, and mashed potatoes and gravy. A lot of the kids got a little overzealous with the sweet tea and were bouncing off the walls by the time the dance started. There were some classic cuts, new stuff, and even a few Beatles songs.

For my first song I sang a duet with our photographer Andi. We sang "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. Some of the kids danced but I don't think it was my strongest performance. Andi carried us. Johnny encouraged me to go to my "go-to" song for a solo. There was only one song that fit that bill. Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart". I'm not a good singer at all. I have a nasally singing voice and I don't know how to breath properly, but when I'm singing that song I don't care. I get lost in the moment and it's just me and the mic. One of the kids, Koree, was singing too and he probably sounded better than me, but you know what? I felt like a super star out there.

I think my destiny is to be one of those delusional losers on American Idol. One of those contestants that truly in their heart-of-hearts believes that they are a great singer destined for stardom when they are actually destined to crawl back to where ever they came from and stay there. Anyways it was a fun night dancing and singing.

When we got back to hotel we had are last meeting as a group. This is where we acknowledge all the kids in the group and they can hang the hearts they made on the tree. After the heart hanging we all sit in a circle with unlit candles. As we move around the room we light each candle and each person has the opportunity to say whatever they want to say. Some say a lot, some say a little, and some chose not to say anything. Either way it is very touching to hear what everyone has to say. There are a lot of great people and a lot of great kids that were a part of this year's group.

I thanked Jerry for allowing me to be a part of his wonderful organization, Cassie and Austin for putting on a wonderful trip, the players for taking time out of their busy schedules to have fun with the kids, Jenny and Kevin for all the work that they do that sometimes goes unnoticed but not unappreciated, the Wunsch family for allowing all of us to be an extended part of their family, my fellow counselor for making it easy on me to be one of them, and most importantly I thanked the kids. These kids have gone through more in their young lives than they or anyone should have to. They give to me more than I could ever give to them. When my days get long, or I feel tired and/or unmotivated I think about these kids. I think about the smiles that I see on these trips and the fun they have in the face of the cancer that they are fighting. I know that if they can stay strong I can stay strong. I know that if they can keep smiling I can keep smiling.

"Keep your face always towards the sunshine-and shadows will fall behind you." -Walt Whitman