Magical Moment 19, "My Grandpa's Smile"

Last night, I had a dream. I pulled a bright red, dusty old car into a gravel driveway next to a tiny white house in the middle of miles and miles of long, blowing grass. I got out and looked around. The sun had cast an orange, hazy light on each green blade. Every speck of dust was illuminated as they lazily floated in and out of the streams of sunlight. I started walking down a hill. It was the same hill that my friends and I played on years ago at reccess. We would roll down it and make our secret hide-outs. We played t-ball in that grass on Wednesday nights and ate popsicles. Then, in my dream, I started to run.

When I got to the bottom, Duchess ran up and and jumped on me. She was on a leash, and my grandpa was holding the other end of it. He was wearing his work uniform even though he had been retired for years. It was a blue, button-up collared shirt with matching slacks. The same one he wore when he was an extra in the movie "Terms of Endearment." I was always so proud to tell people that my grandparents were in that movie.

And then he looked at me. My grandpa. His appearance hadn't change in the 16 years I knew him, not even in my dream. Square glasses, hair parted on the side, mustache, and visible graying whiskers. Suddenly, I panicked when I realized I didn't know what color his eyes were. And then he smiled at me. Grandpa didn't have a very big smile because he didn't have teeth. If a stranger saw grandpa smile, they would think it was just a common pleasantry, but I knew his smile meant something special. I knew exactly what he was saying to me, and when I smiled back, he knew exactly what I was saying to him. It was the most meaningful, heartfelt, silent conversation we ever shared. It was a smile that no one else could see but me.

It was the same smile that he gave me just days before he died. Every time I went to visit my grandpa, I hugged and kissed him goodbye before leaving. Every time. But one of the last times, he was too sick and as I leaned over to kiss him, he put his hand up as if to say, "Not this time." My heart broke. I couldn't leave without kissing him, so I smiled and blew him one. That's when he smiled at me and blew a kiss back. No one else in the room saw it. It is still one of the most cherished moments of my life.

In my dream after he smiled at me, I ran up and hugged him. I could feel his whiskers against my face. We hugged for a long time and when I woke up, my cheeks were wet with tears.

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

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