I have posted blogs about Rowan's sweet friend Charlotte many times. She is battling Leukemia for the second time...she is winning for the second time. Rowan was alongside her the first time. This time he is watching over her from above. We all want this to be the last time she goes through this. We all want her to be done with cancer once and for all. In the meantime, I enjoy spending time with her whenever I can. Sometimes its hard not having Rowan with me. Her Dad and I used to play with them in the hospital play room, or I would take them on play dates or picnics at the park. Now, since Rowan went to Heaven, Charlotte and I play at her house or in her hospital room. We do art projects, I teach her to sew, we play board games...which she always wins:) She seems to enjoy it. I have grown to need it. I think we both feel closer to Rowan when we are together. We have wonderful conversations about him. Today was no different.
Charlotte immediately gave me a gift box to open, and said she had made me something special. When I opened it, I saw a beautiful orange and green bracelet that she had made me. I said "My favorite color is green and Rowan's was orange!", and she smiled really big and said "I know! That's why I made it those colors." Then she placed it on my wrist.
I love it!
I also always love seeing art that she and I have done together in the past, in her house. She and I did this "I am" collage and this water color peacock over the past few months, and they are still proudly displayed in her kitchen.
Today I took Charlotte something we had talked about a few months ago, something Charlotte was really excited about. It belonged to Rowan. I have many fond memories of him with it. But it has sat in a box for nearly a year and a half now...since before he left for Seattle for his transplants. It was his vintage cotton candy machine. It was tough to part with at first, but now I am so glad I did. Just look at the joy it brought her...which brought me even more joy.
Next up, we played a game. I always let Charlotte pick the game from their game closet. She always beats me. It doesn't matter what the game is. It doesn't matter how hard I try. Again, today was no different. We played Connect Four...best out of 5. She won 3 times in a row! She cracks me up so much. So dramatic, just like Rowan. I think that's why they got along so well.
The first game started off innocently enough...
Then Charlotte put on her game face... and won round one.
She asked me for my best game face...
Then she upped hers...
Within minutes, she had beaten me two more times in a row... and she celebrated by throwing the pieces in the air...
We laughed and laughed.
She showed me a book she had written, just a few weeks after Rowan passed away this past year. She wanted me to see that she used a picture I had taken of her when I took her and Rowan to a restaurant on the San Antonio River Walk, where they used French fries as mustaches. She told me...and I quote her..."I thought the picture you took of me was worthy of a book cover". I cracked up, but she was right.
Charlotte and I have a longstanding tradition of taking selfies together. I always want one smiley/pretty one of us together, and then I let her talk me into silly ones.
Once it was time for me to head home, Charlotte noticed that it was raining out. She said "Oh No!" I told her I would be fine, that her driveway was close and I would make it to my car just fine. However, she was insistent that she go get 2 umbrellas and escort me out to my car. She told me we could each use one to get out to the car, then once I was in my van, she would take mine from me and take them both back into the house. Such a doll. So thoughtful, and her plan worked perfectly:)
I told her that I loved her, would miss her, and would come see her next week if she was feeling up to it. She took both umbrellas and gave me that bright Charlotte smile, before heading back to the house. Once again, I was reminded of the last time Rowan left her house before Seattle. They talked about him coming back after his grand adventure. It breaks my heart that he didn't return to her, but I am in awe of her strength and resiliency, and so grateful that she is comfortable enough with me to be one of my best friends now too.
Thank you for a great afternoon my sweet, sweet, Charlotte. Thank you for the friendship bracelet, the fun, and the umbrella. I love you so much sweetheart!
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