It started with doubt, hesitation, a pause

Then a leap headfirst into the unknown

One single jump changed every little thing

One single moment became my passion

 

A beacon of hope and unbridled joy

That’s what we brought to those less fortunate

To children bedridden with invisible illnesses

To the brave young warriors without any hair

To the chemo taking, cancer fighting, hallway bike riding, bell ringing children

 

A moment is all we offer, a brief reprieve

Yet that moment, that moment is worth more than any diamond or car

A single moment where for that brief time, they can be a kid

In that moment, the magic comes to life, their dreams are before them, they can ignore their battle

 

At least for a moment

 

That moment, that moment is why I and so many others do what we do

Why we wear crowns, capes, masks, and tutus

Why we spend hours on makeup and practicing accents

Why we drive five hours to see just one more kid

Why we cry in car rides backs and still find the courage to smile on the next visit

 

You want to know what inspires me

Those kids, those kids do

They’re fighting for their life, and yet, somehow

They have more passion than anyone else I have ever known

In the face of death, they smile and fight through it

They don’t get to be a kid!

They are my inspiration and I will fight for them

I will fight for the fighters