That was the best part of all!

If you are my FB friend, then you know I just had the celebration of a lifetime at Disney World. My husband is my personal "make-a-wish" foundation. As you know, he went to China on a mission trip. Originally, I was going with him. Then... my diagnosis came, & our plans changed. So... while he was in China, a long time friend & I went to Disney World. This trip was my end of treatment celebration.

I've never seen Disney World as I did on this trip. There are probably no 2 travelers on this earth who are more compatible than my friend & me. We really didn't do rides (unless you consider It's a Small World a ride). We browsed & shopped a lot. We saw fireworks almost every night. We dined with characters & even ate in the castle. The last night we splurged & went to the Halloween Party. Oh what a party!

Halfway through our stay, we swam with a dolphin named Lester. What a hoot! We had the most beautiful day of the week & enjoyed every minute. The lazy river was amazing. We attempted to snorkel & even swam with spotted sea rays. We visited a bird aviary, & I stepped out of my box & fed a bird while he sat on my wrist.

As we boarded our plane to come home, my friend asked me what my favorite part of the trip was. Truthfully, I had so much fun, it's hard to say... But, as I've pondered this question over the last few days, I can honestly say, the time spent with my friend was definitely the best part. We laughed so hard we cried a few times.

I became very sick half way through the trip. My friend took care of me & hiked miles to get me something to soothe my stomach. I felt so bad putting a damper on our trip, however she never batted an eye. I had a few limitations. She acted as if they were not limits at all. She carried my bags when my shoulder hurt. She waited on me time & again, as I became queasy. She checked on me in the night when I was feverish. She ate when I was hungary (even if she wasn't). And... she made sure I had plenty of water.

My friend defines what it means to have a servant heart. She's been my friend for 25 years, so this fact is not new to me. However, being the recipient of her servant heart for 7 straight days was something I'd not yet experienced. She serves with such grace, you could almost take her for granted (as I'm sure many people do). I know I'm a grown woman, but after this past year, I'm not quite as resilient, sharp, & confident as I once was. Having a friend like this is nothing to take for granted.

At the end of the trip, I asked her if she learned anything new about me. She said no. I questioned her thoroughly. I asked her if she had realized the extent of some of my quirks before this trip. Apparently she had, because she said no. As for me, I don't know why I'm surprised, but the depth of her goodness left me in awe. I've always known her to be kind, but somehow it had new meaning after this trip. I felt like God took me & put me in the best possible hands (as if she were family), & gave me a week full of treasured memories. That was the best part of all!