Grown Up

I spent the morning at Toys R Us getting a gift for my friend's little girl who has been in the hospital with Kawasaki disease. Not to be confused with Coxsackie, or hand, foot, mouth that all of our kids have had. It's a little understood disease that attacks the blood and can ultimately attack the heart. She has been in and out of the hospital for a couple of weeks having blood transfusions and developing other health problems like some kind of auto immune disease that she is also battling. I got her a "surf girl" jewelry making kit and some fun shaped markers and sketch pad, because that's the only way I can help. I don't know how they do it, the parents, that is. We had sinus infections and strep this week and it was more than I can handle.

Last weekend I went into Manhattan for a benefit for the little boy of a guy I knew in college who recently was diagnosed with brain cancer. I don't know if he's even 3 yet. He's had aggressive chemo and surgeries that don't seem to be helping. So I paid my $75 and had a few drinks at the open bar and chatted with some old friends that I haven't seen since college. It was all very light and a lovely evening with one of my best friends.

This shouldn't be happening to my friends' kids. I shouldn't have two good friends with brain tumors. It makes me mad and sad. I don't know if I like this over 35 demographic that I'm in. I remember being a kid and my parents were probably my age. It seemed like they were always going to a wake and/or funeral. I actually had the audacity to ask my mom, rolling my clueless eyes, "don't you have anything more fun to do than go to wakes?" As if that was their nightlife of choice. But their parents were getting old, and their friends parents were getting old and the "grown ups" in their lives were dying.

I don't remember any sick kids really, when I was little. I don't know if we were sheltered from it or if we were just lucky. Because as much as it sucks being a grown up and going to your friends' parents' funerals, watching your friends deal with sick kids is unbearable. So for now I guess I'll buy toys, drop off casseroles and sit down at the open bar and raise a glass to these brave parents who are shouldering their children's pain.