Butterflies, gardens, bubbles, theaters, paintings and tears...just another Keller Williams Red Day!

Rowan was the foreman of one of Keller Williams City View's Red Day service projects in 2015.  He designed and managed the installation of Jalene's Memorial Garden in her families' back yard after she passed away.  He had every detail drawn out exactly as he said she would want it.  It was such a beautiful day, and the garden turned out perfectly!  KW named him "The Best Red Day Foreman Ever", and Jalene's family continues to use that garden to sit and remember their sweet angel.

Last year I was not able to participate, but the KW City View crew installed yet another garden, the first "Rowan Memorial Garden".  This year they did the same, and the second KW Red Day Rowan Memorial Garden was planted in San Antonio at a very special location. 

I'm overcome with emotions tonight, after everything I witnessed and was a part of today.  I will try to get the words down, but I may need to come back tomorrow to edit this post...

First of all, as I've said before, God's timing is perfect, even when you don't realize it at the time.  Today was a great example of that.  I had committed to coming to help the KW City View Team plant this garden, and I had looked forward to it all week.  They also were doing a clean up and painting service project at Woodlawn Theater today, and I said that I would swing by there once the garden was in, even if it was just for a few minutes.  As you know, Rowan LOVED being at Woodlawn.  He was in 6 shows there, and 3 at NESA.

When I woke up this morning, I felt terrible.  I did not know how I was going to make it to San Antonio to help.  I took Ian to school, laid back down and fell asleep, after telling sweet Margie that I didn't know if I would make it after all.  She gently urged me to at least come for a little bit if at all possible.  Around 11 I felt Rowan encouraging me to get out of bed and go help them.  I knew how we would have definitely been there if he were still here on Earth...he just had that way about him...nothing stopped him.  So I decided to go ahead and text Margie and head in.

I am so grateful that I did. 

This year the garden was designed for a very special group of Mom's, and their children.  It was planted at a transitional home for families who have left dangerous situations for a fresh start.  They asked me what they should call it, once it was complete, and I said "The garden of Hope".  It not only honors Rowan's memory, it is a perfect message for these ladies and their children too.

Keller Williams outdid themselves once again, making a nature trail for the children, flag stone paths between the homes, and a wonderfully planned peaceful garden in the middle.  In true Rowan fashion, there were butterfly garden stones, metal butterfly art, brightly colored wind chimes, a bench, and gorgeous native plants and flowers.  (*For privacy purposes, I did not take photos of the grounds.)

Margie asked me to speak to the group of volunteers, so I told them a little about Rowan, his experience as a red Day Foreman and how happy he would be to see them continuing to "Make the Good".  As I started digging a hole for one of the plants, Margie suddenly yelled, "Carrie, get over here!"  I ran to her, knowing that it must be some sort of sign from Rowan...which of course it was. 

A beautiful orange butterfly, fluttering all around us... landing this close to my foot. 

She said she had prayed that Rowan would be with us all today...and he was.  Thank you Rowan!

At the end of the planting, installation and clean up, everyone gathered around the garden and they did the sweetest thing...they all blew bubbles in Rowan's memory. 

It's like he and all of his angel friends were dancing around the garden...it was so beautiful, it brought me to tears.

I only had about an hour left before I had to head back to New Braunfels, so I rushed over to Woodlawn with some of the KW group, to check in on the progress that the other KW team was making there.  Now, as I've mentioned, Woodlawn Theater was one of Rowan's favorite places to spend time outside of the hospital.  I took him every Tuesday night for 3+ hours, for at least 3 years.  He said he felt "like a normal kid" when he was there.  It wasn't uncommon for him to have a bone marrow biopsy, or pass a kidney stone, but still make it to rehearsal the same night...sometimes reciting his lines for his doctors, begging them to let him out so he didn't miss dress rehearsal or a show.  He spent 8 hours at the infusion clinic prior to practice almost every single time.  He was always determined to be the first one "off-book".  He put his jazz pants and dance shoes on hours before it was time to go to practice.  And even from the emergency room or hospital, he was the epitome of "the show must go on"!

Walking in there today was difficult.  They gave me a tour to show me all the areas they had cleaned, painted, remodeled, etc.  I spent so much time in those rooms with Rowan, it was a bit overwhelming to be back there without him.  When we went into the kids dance studio, where they had choreographed and practiced all of their numbers...I started to cry once again. 

It was just so empty, so quiet...

not how I remembered it over 100 times before, when it had been full of kids, full of noise, full of life.

I told Chris Rodriguez (Rowan's Choreographer and Youth Director, now the Executive Director/Artistic Director) that I believed, if Rowan could come back to Earth for just one more day, he would probably either go Big-footing, or he would be back on that stage performing in front of all of his family, friends and fans:)  I mean that too. He LOVED acting, he LOVED Chris, and he LOVED the Woodlawn.

Before I had to leave, they asked everyone to come in to the main stage theater. 

All of the Keller Williams Red Day volunteers, and Chris, went up on the stage.  The curtains were shut, which is not unusual when a show is not going on, so I had no idea what was about to happen. 

Sweet Maggie (KW Realtor and fellow stage Mom...love you Lilly Grace!) started to explain about why the Woodlawn was important to Rowan, and why that made it important to KW too.  Then, they had a sweet young couple come up and start talking. I had no idea what was going on, until the curtains were pulled back and they unveiled a mural they had done of Rowan, that will now hang in the Woodlawn. 

Chris said that every child that walks through their doors to be a part of their youth program (over 800 a year) will know about Rowan, and that his memory will live on at the Woodlawn forever.  I literally fell down.  I'm not kidding.  My knees buckled, and I fell to the ground, bawling crying.  My sweet boy's image will grace that theater that he loved so very, very, much...where he felt like a "normal kid".  I was completely taken aback.  I did not see it coming.  It was such a sweet tribute to my boy, such an honor.

Once I recovered (meaning, once they picked me up off the floor), I was able to go on stage and thank Margie, Maggie, Chris, all the KW Red Day volunteers and especially the Lopez's, for capturing Rowan's spirit in their artwork.

There were so many messages today.  So many signs.  So much Rowan in the air.

Keller Williams City View... Thank you for giving where you live.  Thank you for making the good.  Thank you for continuing to honor Rowan's memory.

Chris Rodriguez and the entire Woodlawn Theater staff... Thank you for giving Rowan more than some normalcy, you gave him confidence, you gave him a dream, you gave him a stage.  Knowing he touched you all too, means the world to me. 

Thank you for not forgetting our little actor... Rowan...

Thank you for not forgetting...

"The Turkey" (Honk Jr.),

"Bun Foo" (Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.),

"Prince #3: The Prince Formerly Known as the Artist" Aladdin Jr.),

"Peter Pan" (Shrek Jr.),

"Michael Darling" (Peter Pan Jr.),

"Mr. Pinky" (Hairspray).

If all the world is a stage,

can you imagine what Heaven is like

with Rowan up there?