June 17, 2010 @ 8:28 am
Red Hair, Clear Windows
Ronald McDonald House, Fargo, ND (35)
I remember two commercials from my childhood. There was the one proclaiming “I don’t wanna grow up ‘cause baby if I did, I wouldn’t be a Toys “R” Us kid,” and then there was the McDonald’s commercial with the little girl nervously performing “Fleur de Lis” at her piano concert. To distract herself from the eyes of the audience, she imagines a trip to McDonald’s with her, “big chocolate shake, a cheeseburger, and also, whoops, and also fries.” I used to trot on into our living room where I would no doubt, impress the masses, and sing those very lyrics while tickling the ivories, with absolutely no direction whatsoever. My beats pretty much resembled those of a frog on the run in a music store, but nonetheless, at the time, I thought I was pretty amazing. Since that time, my love affair with McDonald’s has only grown, far surpassing my expectations on so many occasions. From the perfectly proportioned cheeseburger, to the generously M&M’d McFlurry, my heart and stomach feel whole once again after I sink my teeth into that first heavenly bite. So a trip to the Ronald McDonald House seemed inevitable, and quite tasty I might add.
We’d arrived in Fargo, and having just watched the movie (research and all), I was definitely prepared for the “Darn tootin”s and the “Oh yeah”s. Everyone was sure to be abnormally nice and pleasant which I found to be quite true the minute I stepped in to the Ronald McDonald House.
As I’ve mentioned before, volunteering is about doing what needs to be done. In this case, washing windows, was our North Dakota calling. I’m a Windex girl myself, so at first somewhat confused, all the while whispering to one another, as neither R.J. or I had ever cleaned windows with water and ammonia, I was a bit concerned as to the streaks consuming the newly scrubbed windows. Wouldn’t they be everywhere? Surprisingly, I’m here to tell ya’ the answer is no. Works like a charm, no streaks, no cloudy film. I was beyond impressed.
So there we were, washing windows, inside and out, from top to bottom. Ringing out the excess water and moving up and down stairs from floor to floor, our teamwork once again paid off. I began with my wet rag, cleaning every bit of glass from seal to ceiling, while the husband rushed to wipe the remaining drops from the window. Kneeling, bending, reaching and jumping became routine as we repeated steps 1-2 over and over, time and time again. Continuing cleaning, families passed through from room to room, leaving, visiting their children, their sisters, their brothers, their nieces, their nephews. Uncertain as to the circumstances they may encounter at the hospital not too far away, I wondered how they slept through each night…moved beyond the tossing and turning, the counting sheep, the warm glasses of milk that refused to work their magic, and somehow found the way to pick themselves up in the morning, to start a whole new day.
After several hours of work, our job had been completed. We’d finished in the kitchen, where families from different cities held hands as they learned of one another’s heartache, a heartache not to different from their own. The sun shone brightly through the sparkling glass in the living rooms where tears of joy and sadness had been wiped away time after time.
The Ronald McDonald House is a place where families are able to find comfort in knowing that they’ll forever have somewhere to stay while the children in their lives battle the diseases keeping them from the everyday routine of their childhood. But it’s not just a hot meal, a warm bed, a roof to protect one from the storms. It’s a place that keeps families within minutes of their children, allowing them to return to a haven with a group of people who’ve watched their young boys and girls face the same piercing needles, the nearly unbearable stomach aches, the sweats, the chills, and the wondering if they’ll ever leave. For so many, the Ronald McDonald House is a home…the place where friendships will be realized, prayers will be made granted, and where lives will forever be changed.
I must admit, McDonald’s holds an entirely different place in my heart now. Each time I make that delightful ride to the drive-thru window, the bucket hanging requesting donations for the Ronald McDonald House, won’t go overlooked. It will surely rattle more, will definitely hang more heavily.
The commercial with shakes, cheeseburgers and fries will continue to be a part of my cherished younger years. But I think now, what I’ll remember most fondly about the McDonald’s name, will be the faces I saw looking back as I opened the door to leave the Ronald McDonald House. The eyes were filled with kindness, with hope, and with the strength to start another day.
