When a dream comes true, especially one you weren't aware you had, it's a fantastic experience.
Our modest family of three recently had a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Of course, I’ve had several amazing adventures in the last thirty-two years. Hmmm, I wonder why that is. This one, however, had somewhat of a fairy-tale feel to it, only replacing the glass slipper with a black suit and tie but still ending at the stroke of midnight, at least for us.
Way back in the olden days, in, I think it may have been the 90s, I had an addiction to an afternoon talk show that I watched every day after work. Like many people, I got sucked into the over-the-top stories of chaos and crazy. I don’t know, maybe it made me feel normal…whatever normal is. During commercial breaks, they announced, “Guests on today’s show are staying at the Ritz Carlton”. I don’t recall what program it was, some addiction, right?! I’m blaming it on menopause brain. Anyway, if they were staying at the Ritz, something tells me it was not Jerry Springer.
As I watched the show and they gave a sneak peek of the inside of the hotel, I would think, that’s so beautiful! However, I’ll probably never be able to step foot in a place that nice. I should have known that of all people, Matt would one day make that possible for me.
We recently traveled to Denver, Colorado where Matt and his friend Eric, were being honored at a Best Buddies gala. If you are not familiar with the Best Buddies program, it’s an international nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Taken from the Best Buddies website)
Eric had been nominated Champion of the Year in the mountain west region for his role in the program. As a result of Eric’s nomination, Matt received an invitation to attend as well. We were ecstatic and honored the day we received that call.
The event was to be held at the Ritz Carlton in Denver. This meant we would be entering a building where they would open the door for us, and we would receive a greeting as if we were Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman after her makeover. Memories took me to the images of the beautiful hotel I had once groveled over and I was giddy with anticipation of having that experience I had doubted would ever happen so many years ago.
The gala was a black-tie event so the men were decked out in very nice suits, some in tuxedos, and the women wore long evening dresses with matching shoes and clutches. Meanwhile, our humble little family dressed up in our best, me in my fancy dress slacks, because this girl doesn’t wear dresses, and what I thought was a gala-appropriate blouse and John in his dress pants, shirt, and tie. Although we felt we were dressed to the nines, we were completely out of our comfort zone.
During the cocktail hour, the room buzzed with excitement from the guests as servers dressed in pressed shirts and pants walked around with their silver serving trays offering up light appetizers or glasses of champagne. This definitely was not In and Out. John and I did our best to try to fit in while, Matt, oblivious to the different lifestyles, was in his height of glory and had no problem commingling. My boy sure looked handsome in his two-piece suit and the new black silk tie he had picked out specifically for this event.
After an hour or so of enjoying the cocktail hour, they called the Champions and their buddies to the ballroom for dinner. We found our table and in addition to sitting with Eric and his family, we sat with a nice couple along with another young lady from Arkansas. “So, what’s in Arkansas,” I asked, trying to spark up a conversation as I explained that I had a goal to hit all fifty states. “Nothing!” the husband quickly replied as his wife and her sister chuckled at his hasty response. They disagreed and shared that they loved it. We enjoyed our visit with them and learned the wife had a position on the board of Best Buddies. Intrigued, I listened intently as she shared how she got involved.
The emcee introduced each champion and their buddies, while we were served a nice meal of chicken, salmon for me, and roasted vegetables. I was proud of John. He ate all three of his veggies, (think fancy meal) with minimal complaints. I do think he may have been confused when he saw the different pieces of silverware laid out at each place setting. Not Matt. A fork is a fork. Just give me something to shovel it all in. But seriously, I watched my son proudly as he used his best table manners to consume his fancy feast.
When it came Eric’s time to be recognized, he had Matt stand with him, refusing to accept the glory of the program without the reason for being involved. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched these two young men, arms around each other’s shoulders, accepting the recognition together. When they were done acknowledging Eric, they did a small intro to Matt, announcing his birthday that had taken place a few days prior. This, of course, caused him to stand abruptly and throw his hands in the air while shouting in his loud baritone voice, “Me? Me?” as he turned to look at each of the guests. He about knocked over the unsuspecting waiter who had stepped in at that moment to fill our wine glasses. In true Matt style, he had the crowd’s attention and they laughed and clapped loudly for him. Not quite the response Eric received, it appeared lack of humility had won over the crowd.
The evening went on with us learning the stories of the many involved in the program and enjoying a performance from a group of special little dancers. I had to grab a tissue as I watched the many differently abled children perform for a crowd who could barely keep their emotions in check. I thought my heart would burst.
The gorgeous blonde who did the announcing had the perfect personality for this event. Calling out those she knew in the room to bid when the auction started. Her auctioneering skills were the perfect mix of ladylike and give me some money for this great organization. We allowed Matt to raise his paddle a time or two but had to quickly take it from him before he started bidding on the luxurious vacation packages. While it would have been nice to go to one of the gorgeous destinations, our wallet would only open so wide.
When the bidding commenced, Matt bolted toward the dance floor with Eric in tow as soon as he heard the first beats booming from the loudspeaker. My young dancing machine was not going to miss out on this opportunity. Eric, who claimed to have two left feet, abandoned Matt quickly when he pulled out his over-exaggerated Gangnam style and sprinkler dance moves. You could barely see the floor under all the feet that were dressed in their Sunday best. But the crowd didn’t intimidate Matt. He lost all sense of personal space, nearly bumping into those who danced next to him as he busted a move. For those who aren’t aware, my boy can dance!
After several hours of enjoying the eventful evening, the room began to clear out as one by one the attendees returned from whence, they came, exhausted from all of the excitement. In our case, we exited the event, carefully going down the grand staircase so as not to leave a shoe behind and took a left to the elevators where we hit floor 7. That’s right folks. Not only did we attend an event at the Ritz, but we also had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of being three of their guests.
We were barely in our room before we kicked off the uncomfortable shoes that held our feet hostage all night. We rushed to the comfortable beds where we fell from exhaustion, turning on the TV to catch the last of the Utah Utes football game. It was the perfect ending to the evening. Although the bathtub beckoned to me, because the bathroom was…well, WOW! If I weren’t worried about having to call 911 to rescue me, I would have probably taken a long, hot bubble bath. It was the first time in the history of my travels that I had ever been tempted to take a bath in a hotel bathtub.
We had a perfect weekend adventure. However, none of this would have been possible if it wouldn’t have been for the amazing folks who helped make this experience possible. First and foremost, Eric, Matt’s Best Buddy, and his support of the program. And of course, the board members of the Best Buddies program who had obviously put in hours of hard work and time to make the evening a success. Definitely a weekend for the books, mine to be exact.
I found Best Buddies after the pandemic when I was looking for a program to get Matt involved in. I reached out to them, hoping and praying to find a friend (aka Buddie) for him as I needed to get him socially involved in something with someone other than his family. This program has been good for us so far. I would recommend it to anyone else who may be looking for social opportunities for their differently abled child.
I am extremely grateful to my son and his extra chromosome. Many things are difficult for him, but he certainly knows how to have fun and celebrate. I’m just lucky enough that he lets me tag along for the ride.
https://www.bestbuddies.org/
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