Jack's Place

My sister Kate and her husband Mike did such a cool thing this past weekend. They lost their 18mos old son suddenly 4 years ago this month. Over time, as part of the healing, they continue to do positive things for other people and just in general. I think the giving of themselves is true to who they are, and I also think it helps remind them that they were not put on this earth to be punished in some cruel way. I think the path they lead is a path of giving and of sharing, giving an ear, giving an opinion, sharing a story, or a laugh, cry or smile. They meet this path with enthusiasm.

This past weekend was the gift of a playground in the memory of their son, Jack. It's the most amazing playground - not really because of what you see when you cross through the gate but more because of what you don't see. You don't see that 4 women put their heads together with the help of a few outsiders whose job it was to have a playground. You don't see that dozens of friends and family got together on one of the worst days this year to build this amazing place and you don't see the people who showed up with their children in the rain to be part of the dedication. This symbol and this story have reached so far and touched so many - Kate and Mike should be so proud of themselves. From an amazing little boy, to an amazing playground from an amazing family.

Swing High, Slide Fast and Play Hard. It's as simple as that.