Wow it has been a busy few weeks since I’ve blogged. So many stories to tell and not nearly enough time to tell them, I swear! Here we go . . .
“Some things are destined to be — it just takes us a couple of tries to get there.” ― J.R. Ward, Lover Mine
No words could be truer in regards to our recent trip out east.
This trip was significant not only because we were going to see about getting a service dog for Lukah, but it also was significant because it was a second chance . . . a “redo” if you will.
Last year, Lukah was scheduled to go on a high school band trip with her friends to Philadelphia and New York City. The kids couldn’t wait for their departure in June!
But then The Beast entered her life, and the band trip quickly became the first of many things that have been stolen from her. Because she was having so many seizures, she had to back out of the trip.
I remember feeling so sorry for her as we watched her older sister pack up and go on the trip. While I was happy for my oldest daughter, my heart ached for Lukah as she watched her sister and all of her friends post pictures and statuses about all of the fun they were having.
I remember hoping that someday, we could take her on a similar trip.
Little did I know that in less than one year’s time, that opportunity would present itself.
While planning our necessary trip to Pennsylvania to meet with Canine Partners for Life about a service dog for Lukah, we realized Cochranville — the small town that the organization is located in — was just about 30 minutes from Philadelphia. That meant, the little town was also just a few hours away from New York.
It took us all of about 2 seconds to make the decision to “recreate” the band trip that she missed out on while we were out there for our meeting with Canine Partners for Life.
So, on April 26, 2014, Corey, Lukah and I hopped on a plane to Philadelphia with high hopes for a service dog approval on our minds, but also on a mission to make up some “missed out on memories” for Lukah.
Here we are at the airport on our way to Philly.
Let’s board that plane. But first . . . Let me take a selfie! 🙂
Small plane to ChiTown.
Somewhere over Central, IL.
When we arrived at our hotel, in a town called King of Prussia (funny name, I know!), we were greeted by beautiful flowering trees everywhere! Can you believe I took this picture with my iPhone? Gosh I love my iPhone camera almost as much as I love my many DSLRs. 🙂
Lukah did not feel well from getting motion sickness from being on the MOST turbulent flight we have ever been on, so she stayed back in the room to rest while Corey and I went out to dinner and to get some groceries. That night, since we were all tired from the day of travel, we just hung out at the hotel. Here we are in the lobby that evening:
The next day, we explored “The City of Brotherly Love.” We started out by having lunch at a really cool place called Reading (Pronounced Redding) Terminal Market. They have every kind of food you could ever imagine. It is kind of overwhelming, really. Talk about sensory overload between all of the sights, smells, tastes and touch (from people bumping into us)!
Of course Lukah got her first Philly Steak sandwich. Only, this one is mine — hers was plain. I’ve gotta have all of the goodies on mine. 🙂
Here they are cooking them:
Next we toured Independence Hall and got to go in the very room that the Declaration of Independence was signed. Here’s the room:
We also saw the Liberty Bell.
(blurry pic . . . SORRY!)
And all of the beautiful flowers in front of the Liberty Bell:
It was hard not to feel patriotic on this beautiful day in the City of Brotherly Love! (This flag is outside of Independence Hall)
The next day, we headed into New York City! I was so excited because I have always wanted to go there.
We had signed up for a “walking tour” and the meeting spot was right next to Wall Street — right by the New York Stock Exchange!
We went to the Federal building. George Washington took his presidential oath on these grounds on this very stone!
Also, even though the World Trade Center is several blocks away, the building has damage from the fall of the towers. While repairing the damage, they made the intentional decision to leave a single crack in the wall to be a “tribute” of sorts to those who died in 9-11.
We also toured the most beautiful church I have ever entered. It is called Trinity Church and it is a gothic looking structure right smack dab in the middle of the skyscrapers! There is a cemetery on its’ grounds. Alexander Hamilton, one of our countries founding fathers, is buried there.
From there we walked a few blocks to the 9-11 museum. It was harrowing to stand on the same grounds where so many had fallen. The memorial is breathtaking. Each “pool” is in the exact spot where the towers stood, and are made to be the exact dimensions of the twin towers. The water falls from individual streams — each representing an individual who lost their life in the tower — into an infinity pool. The sound was calming and peaceful as I paid my respects.
See the individual streams?
At the 9-11 site, there is a beautiful pear tree called “The Survivor Tree,” and it was in bloom while we were there. It smelled amazing. If I close my eyes and imagine myself there, I swear I can still smell it. The irony of the sweet smell in a place where there was so much death is beautiful to me and also, a metaphor of hope to me. We have gone through so much darkness and sickness — surely we will someday come out smelling like a rose (or in this case . . . a pear tree :)).
The tree now stands near where it was planted in the 1970’s where it greeted guests in the plaza of the World Trade Center for decades. After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the tree was buried for weeks under the rubble of the Twin Towers.
Amazingly, the tree survived! In October of 2001, the tree was dug out of the rubble– the last living thing pulled from ground zero.
It was moved to temporary “home” during the rebuild. Ironically, the night before it was set to be moved back to its true home, it was struck by lightning! Refusing to lose its fight, even though it had been knocked down again, the tree blossomed once it was planted back where it belonged. That tree reminds me of a metaphor for Lukah. Even though Hurricane Dysautonomia keeps knocking her down, she does not give up the fight, and continues to grow more beautiful despite her circumstances.
Next we walked to Battery Park. From there, we took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. I will never forget when my eyes say it for the very first time. I imagined what it was like for my great-grandmother to see that sight, after a long journey on a boat from Lithuania at the age of four, as she started her life in a new country. I remember a story about her — someone handed her a banana and they laughed at her as she bit into it without peeling it. She had never had a banana before she came to America!
I can definitely see why Lady Liberty is a monument of freedom to those who immigrated to our country. It took my breath away.
Below is the view up from the terrace.
From Lady Liberty, we took a ferry over to Ellis Island and toured the main building. It was haunting to think of so many of my ancestors who had walked the same halls many decades ago, eager to being their new life.
After seeing these sights, we hobbled back to our car (our feet were killing us from all of the walking) and headed back to the hotel to prepare for Lukah’s big day the next day!
I am so glad that we were able to recreate this trip for Lukah. While she didn’t get to see everything she would have on the band trip (i.e. a broadway show, Central Park and Times Square), she did see a lot of the same things. And, some of the things she got to do more of with us than what they did with the band (i.e. we got to go up on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and actually got to go inside to the see the Liberty Bell and they didn’t.).
I believe it was fate — or perhaps another God wink — that brought us to a second chance to recreate this trip for our girl.
I am so grateful we could make it happen. Even though it probably wasn’t as fun for her as it would have been traveling with her friends, we were at least able to partially give back something The Beast stole from her.
Now, if only we could give back the rest of the things The Beast has taken . . .
Until then, we’ll keep Looking for Lukah.
Thanks for reading!
Looking for Lukah 