Something amazing

I had mentioned in the release post that there was more to Florida than just the release, and there was! There was Doug! Did you ever just meet someone and know you were supposed to meet them for some reason. That is how we felt when we met Doug, or at least I know I did.

It was Monday. The day before the release. We had stopped into our favorite place to eat and drink after a very windy day at the beach. Very windy is quite the understatement here but like true tourists, we fought out the wind and laid on that beach!

I had this sudden recognition of Doug, our bartender, like I had seen him before or knew him. Adam says I do this with everyone I meet, anyhow, I had to know his name. Adam said "stop being silly, Tia". Doug was his name, nothing came to mind...Oh well, I thought. We just all broke out in the song from the hangover movie "Doug, Doug, Dougie, Doug Doug" and continued to sing it for the rest of the week.

I was feeling really down that day. I felt like I was only a second away from a full blown crying session. Like I had tears just waiting on the edge of my eyes, ready to come pouring out. I felt like I was forgetting about Brody that day. Like I hadn't thought of him nearly enough or done anything to remember him. Everyone assured me that we could go back down to the beach and write his name in the sand when we finished up, but I still couldn't shake the sadness.

Doug had went over to a table and came back with something in his hand to show us. I guess the table of customers had gave it to him. It was a little plastic frog. Instantly, my waiting tears couldn't wait anymore. I'm pretty sure the four of us just stared at the frog with amazement and then to each other in awe.

Doug picked up on our behavior and asked if he had done something wrong. I'm not sure if I had suddenly forgotten how to speak or if I knew I just couldn't actually get the words out. After Steve had explained to him that Adam and I lost a son, his name was Brody, and his room theme was frogs, Doug looked at me with the most caring eyes I think that I had ever seen. And with his eyes filled with the same kind of waiting tears I had just had, he said "I lost my son too". He explained to us that his name was Michael, I said that that was Brody's middle name. He was 6 years old and had passed of spinal meningitis. By this time, I'm pretty sure all five of us had tears in our eyes or rolling down our faces.

We then explained to Doug that we were going to Siesta Key the next day for a shell release and that if it was okay, we would like to release a shell for Michael. He loved the idea.

It was an emotional day but certainly one of my favorites. We knew we wanted to meet up with Doug again so we exchanged numbers and met up a few times.

Friday came and I could feel the sadness of our last day on the beach setting in. We met a dog named Hank who was playing fetch in the water with his owner. His fetch toy was what else? A plastic frog!

Soon after Hank left, Doug showed up to spend the afternoon with us. We had a blast that day. Can't you tell?

We went to a place down the beach a little that was putting dollars up just like SKOB in Siesta, only these ones would get donated to Breast Cancer Awareness. We decided Brody and Michael both needed dollars.

When it was time to leave, we all said our goodbyes to Doug and he was so grateful for the things that we had done for Michael. We joked about Brody and Michael and how they were probably saying up in heaven "Hey, wanna really mess with our parents?"

After dinner, we decided, there needed to be a special shell release in Fort Myers too.I thought Michael needed a shell right where his Daddy lived. I was hoping Brody's shell wouldn't break this time. I gave Michael's shell a little kiss and tossed it off the pier.

I gave Brody's shell to Adam and he decided he wasn't into tossing the shell, so he threw it! It made me smile and cry at the same time.

I felt something even different than the first shell release, I felt the need to pray.

I was a bit in shock of how I was feeling and all the great things we had experienced while there and I just needed a moment to reflect and thank God. I also thanked Brody for letting me know that he was there with us in Florida and everywhere...everyday.