We just got home from a Princess Party at The Wishing Place hosted by Make-A-Wish and Utah's Distinguished Young Women. I wanted to write about this while it was still fresh in my heart. I cannot express how amazing this Princess Party was and how it lit up every girl in the room whether they were just little or older.
When we first walked in The Wishing Place we were asked to stand to the side in the lobby. There was a red carpet laid out that stretched down the lobby into their banquet room. There were teenage girls (dozens of them) dressed in formal gowns. They truly looked as if they came out of a fairy tale. There were several teenage boys dressed as princes. One played a trumpet and another announced in a microphone the guests names. The guest were all the girls who were invited to this princess party, those being wish girls and their sisters. The trumpet would play and the prince would say, "Introducing Princess Jorja and Princess Raylee" then they would walk down the red carpet with the teenage princess cheering and clapping for them and sprinkling glitter of all colors on them. It was simply magical. Inside the banquet room were was the giant cardboard cutouts of the Disney Princess, Disney Princes music playing, and a serving table full of cookies and pink and yellow punch. It was decorated perfectly for a young princess.
What was truly magic wasn't the sprinkling of glitter, or the music, or the decorations of pastel pinks and blues and yellows. The magical part was the look in all the girls eyes of young and older. These volunteer princesses out numbered the little guests. They swarmed the little girls by 2 to 3. Let me tell you they were so gentle and loving towards them. They hugged them, danced with them, told them how special and beautiful they were. They got to know them and let them spin around and show off their little dresses because each of our little princesses were dressed for the occasion. For over an hour they played with them. I sat at a table and talked to another cancer mother the entire time. Our girls got so much attention. It was wonderful, they were able to escape their little worlds into one with these beautiful teenage girls and boys who were amazing role models and who seemed to know how to build the self-confidence and character of each young little princess.
Isn't it amazing how just an idea of hosting a princess party can take one little child away from their little world and give them a few hours of being in a special spot light? Some of these little princess are struggling through illness, some may not be curable. And for just this moment.....they didn't know a world of illness or treatment.
Raylee didn't want to leave. When it was time to leave she ran from me and tried to hide. This was so special for her. They came home with dress up rings, bracelets, necklaces, a treasure box, balloons, stickers, and bubbles that the princesses were passing around. When I was leaving several of the Distinguised Young Women came up to me and said how great and special my girls were. :)
My heart is full with gratitude for those who were inspired to plan and host this princess party. I am grateful to live in a place where people are so creative and so giving, who put others above themselves--especially children!
View the Princess Party on KSL News, which aired 1.18.12. Here is the link: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=18927994
To learn more about Utah's Distinguished Young Women log onto http://www.ajm.org/programs/state_n_local_programs/utah/
It is a scholarship and leadership program. Really awesome!
Introducing Raylee and Jorja.....sisters! Raylee is our cancer baby and Jorja is her sister's keeper.
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