Where do I start . . . . ??
As many of you know, Cassie was a volunteer at the Columbus Zoo & Aquariam. She was one of the lucky ones chosen, after a long grueling process and interview, to be a part of their ZooAide program. Okay, maybe it wasn't a "grueling interview," but it didn't come easy and she was up against A LOT of other teenagers who too wanted to be part of this great program.
By March 14, 2008, her thirteenth birthday and the minimum age allowed in the program, Cassie submitted her application to the zoo and we waited. We really weren't expecting her to get into the program because we had heard how difficult it was to get into, let alone an interview. We waited. Several families, whose kids had interviewed in the past, said not to expect anything the first time applying; the zoo's application even stated they receive so many applications that unless an interview was requested we would not hear anything and thank you for applying. We waited.
One day she came running from the mailbox. Keep in mind, by this time we figured since we hadn't heard anything she wasn't going to be invited for an interview. But we were wrong. She was invited to interview for the program. So exciting!! The interview was three hours long, but it was done in a group of peers where the teens were asked individual questions and then they did team building skills to see how they interacted with one another. She was excited about the interview, but was prepared to not get a position because they interviewed 150 for only 100 spots and there were others there that had interviewed in the past. One nice thing about the program, once you are in you are in until you give up your spot.
Well, one day another packet arrived and it was welcoming her and offering a spot in the ZooAide program. She was, I was too, soo excited that she was going to get to be a part of this wonderful program. Being in the program, she was required to volunteer a minimum of 56 hours. So, we traveled from Baltimore, Ohio to Powell, Ohio once to twice a week two round trips a day; 38 miles one way and just under an hour. That first year she volunteered less than 100 hours.
In January of 2009 she received her letter inviting her back for the 2009 summer. It asked ZooAides if they didn't think they could commit to the required 56 volunteer hours to please let them know so they could fill it with another candidate. Well, with Jay graduating in May '09 and interviewing for his 'first call' and us moving, we thought it best to give up her spot immediately so another would have an opportunity. As many of you know, that 'first call' didn't come as quickly as we had anticipated. Well, before we knew it it was the end of May and it looked like we were going to be in Ohio for a little longer, at least for the beginning of summer and when the ZooAide program would start. So, Cassie contacted who she needed to and explained the situation and was welcomed back into the program. She wanted to volunteer even more last summer because she figured it would be her last opportunity; she volunteered well over 100 hours, making her the third from volunteering the most hours. She was excited and had such a great time.
A little less than two weeks ago, a package arrived from her grandparents in Ohio. In the box were clarinet books, reeds for the clarinet, trumpet books, oil for the trumpet, and a stack of mail that didn't get forwarded. In that stack of mail was her invitation to participate in the ZooAide program for the summer. She was sad because she is here in North Dakota and the opportunity is in Ohio. Well, she kept that packet, never throwing it out and never contacting to release her spot.
Since I have caught glimpses of her laying on her bed looking and re-reading her letter over and over again, I started thinking if there would be a way to make it happen for her. You know, she will be fifteen in sixteen days and I know how it feels, as a teenager, to be uprooted from the life you think is everything perfect and put in a new place and have to start over. You see, moving is in my blood, and when I was her age (fourteen) my parents moved us from a place that was perfect and we went someplace that didn't offer the same things and we all had to start over. I know her struggle, her sadness, her disappointment, and her wanting right now.
The past week I have really been thinking about it, and as Cassie put it "there was an idea brewing in my mom's mind and it hadn't boiled over into conversation until last night." Last night, for whatever reason, I felt the need to put my thoughts out there and see what kind of response, or reaction if you will, I would receive.
You see, we are going to visit Ohio basically the whole month of April (April 12th - May 2nd), and the first question was when did the program start and then the main question was could Cassie stay and find a way to the zoo at least one day a week. On our way to youth group last night, I asked Cassie where her packet was, knowing because I've seen it laying next to her bed, so I could see what details were shared. She wanted to know why. I told her I had been thinking about something for a while and I had to talk to the right people.
When I dropped her off, I ran my idea past Jay, which I have to add he was not too keen on the idea, but he too couldn't but notice the huge grin on Cassie's face. She was trying to contain her excitement and cover up her enormous grin when she told him, "It wasn't my idea. This is all her." My response, "Oh, you don't want to go - you're not interested?" She was quick to say she was so interested in going.
I figured we'd have a few days to talk more about it and then decide. WRONG. When I got home and looked at her letter, the deadline to hold her spot is TODAY, February 26th. So, I called Grandma Karen and explained I had a question, well more of a proposal and I apologized for the limited time to contemplate it because unfortunately we were under a time constraint and needed to decide by today the 26th. I ran it by her, but the main thing would be Cassie would stay in Ohio when we leave on May 2nd and would remain there till July so she could get her required 56 hours.
Cassie called her grandmother this morning and found out it was a "no brainer, of course she could stay" and spend the summer volunteering at the zoo. Which this works out great because Cassie can also spend some time with her aunt and cousin while her uncle is on his second tour in Iraq. Cassie has filled out and signed all her paperwork, it's been emailed to the appropriate party giving written committment, a message has been left giving verbal committment, and the paperwork went out today (priority mail) so postmarked today. We are hoping this is all we need to do to hold her spot for the summer. We have done all we can on our end, so now we WAIT, again, until we hear one way or another that her spot has been reserved.
If all goes well, Cassie will get to spend her summer volunteering at the zoo again this summer. It is a bitter sweet thing. I am excited for her that she'll get to do something she really enjoys, but she will be gone for several months and her dad and I, along with her siblings who are already protesting saying she can't go and stay, will miss her. But she reminded us we can Skype . . . gotta love Skype!! It won't be the same as seeing her everyday and being able to torment her with hugs and kisses, but knowing she is enjoying her summer and doing something she loves and seeing the excitement in her will make it all worth it!!
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