A milestone in the midst of the storm

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Somewhere, in Apex NC, there is a 5 year old little girl named Nori, who we had never met before today, who ran off skipping across the playground today while Charlotte and I stopped by her Kindergarten class this morning to visit in preparation for Charlotte starting school. Charlotte, who clung to my leg, and had a hard time speaking and making eye contact with anyone while she was there, felt shy, timid, and very uncertain after all that has happened to her within the past few weeks. And then came Nori. Nori gathered a little bouquet of wild flowers in her little hands and came running over to where Charlotte and I stood during their recess. “Here! I picked these for you.” She was like a breeze that blew the clouds away from hiding the sun. Charlotte’s eyes lifted just for a moment and a small smile arose on her face. The face she seems to not recognize lately. She quietly said thank you, and off Nori skipped. Off to her day. Off to play. Will she ever know how much Charlotte and her mommy needed that little welcoming moment? 

Charlotte is cleared for TAKE OFF! She had a lab draw appointment today before radiation and her counts are good! She can go to her first day of school tomorrow! (1/2 day due to afternoon radiation but yay!) I wasn’t sure what she was thinking when we drove away from school and off to her appointments at Duke as she was so quiet, but then she spoke. “Mommy, I hope I can go to kindergarten tomorrow.” There’s my girl. She will find her voice and her confidence and herself again soon. Thank you GOD for this day, for Nori, and for Charlotte’s special milestone tomorrow❤️🌈  We feel you watching over her.




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