“Whoever has a heart full of love always has something to give.”
(Pope John XXIII)
There is something very humbling about exhaustion.
Hour nine. Mile twenty-three. The forest floor is soft, yet each footfall brings pain. My pace feels slow…very slow. My energy level is low…extremely low. My strength and vitality are gone, the trek having slowly drained my body with each proceeding step. The five miles remaining feel overwhelming. I am weak. I am vulnerable.
I hike on.
Hour eleven. Mile twenty-seven. I come upon a tree, laden with hundreds of star-shaped ornaments. One side of each ornament reveals the picture of a Wish Kid. The other side tells their story: name, age, disease, and wish. We are here for them, but ironically, on this hike, they are also here for us. You see, the Wish Tree marks the beginning of the final mile. For those of us doing the Trailblaze Challenge, these kids and their stars represent hope.
Only one mile to go.
I reach for a star and hang it around my neck: “Samantha, 16, cancer. I wish to go to the set of my favorite TV show.” Samantha’s spirit brings a gentle smile to my face, and my heart fills with determination. I hike on.
There is something very satisfying about achievement.
I hear cowbells ringing and volunteers cheering. I cross the finish line. Twenty-eight-point-three miles. Exhaustion. I fall into a camp chair, surrounded by my fellow hikers. As more hikers cross the finish line, more cowbells ring, and more cheers fill the air. A volunteer brings my comfort pack: flip-flops, a dry shirt, an apple, cheese, and two ice-cold Guinness beers. These simple pleasures—a completed hike, a dry shirt, and a cold beer—bring me happiness and fill my heart with contentment.
There is something very inspiring about giving.
When it comes to Make-a-Wish, I give: as a participant, a donor, and a fundraiser. As a participant, I hiked more than 400 miles in preparation for this Trailblaze Challenge and another 28.3 miles on top of that on the day of the event. As a donor, my wife and I have given $1,000 to Make-A-Wish, and we are planning to donate another $500 next month. As a fundraiser, I have written blog posts, made videos, sent hundreds of social media promotions, and thousands of direct messages and emails to raise awareness and money for the Wish Kids and their families.[1] Giving—whether on the trail, with my pocketbook, or with my creative energy—brings purpose to my life and fills my heart with love.
There is something very magical about community.
The Trailblaze Challenge is not just a race; it’s a journey. It’s a journey I shared with about a hundred other people one weekend in Lavonia, Georgia. Some of us were hikers; some were volunteers; and some worked for Make-A-Wish. Some were young; some were old. Some were rich; some were poor. Some of us have been touched by devastation in our lives; others hike in the name of inspiration. But no matter what brought us there, all of us shared one weekend and one common purpose: to raise money in support of Wish Kids all around the country.
The morning after the hike, we hobbled and wobbled, stumbled and limped to breakfast, together. We told stories. We shared why we were there. We ate, together. We laughed, together. We cried, together. We celebrated that, together, we had raised nearly $300,000—enough to grant the wish of fifty children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. Being part of such a fantastic group of loving people brings me hope, inspiration, and joy. It fills my heart full up.
There is something very powerful about connection. Participating in the annual Make-A-Wish Trailblaze challenge connects me with the Wish Kids and their families, the volunteers and other hikers, and with the mission of Make-A-Wish International to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. My participation in this exhausting, satisfying, inspiring and magical experience connects me with love, and what could be better than that?
[1] The Wish Kids Feel Our Love When They Need It Most
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