And when it came to kites, besides gifting friends and families with a full collection of box, delta, stunt and other kites, Dad aligned his passion for kites with his love of service in his local Kiwanis Club, and more specifically, the Camp Courage that the Club sponsored each year.
This special Camp was designed for children with mental and physical disabilities, and Dad decided that each child should receive his or her own kite, complete with a day of learning to fly them. So volunteers were found, a field was located, and my parents set to work. Dad specially designed kites that were easy to fly, bought enough parachute silk to cover a football field, and between the two of them my mom and dad crafted kites and carrying bags for each participant. All of this, mind you, while my dad was coping with Parkinson's Disease, unable to walk, and my mother was his constant caregiver. But the look on the kids' faces made it all worth it in the end. It was day to remember forever.
And here is my family's favorite story of the special Camp Courage days: As one of the young campers was being driven to the field, he looked up at the sky, gave a happy sigh and excitedly proclaimed "Look! We are in kite heaven!" My dad is in heaven now, and I bet you anything he's letting the string out as far it will go, and making his kite dance with the angels.
What are you waiting for, it's time to fly a kite!
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