In May, our family went to Orlando, Florida for 10 glorious days of Mickey, Hogwarts, Butter Beer, and Kennedy Space Center.
What a FUN vacation. We loved it all, but Kennedy was the surprise hit of the trip! We couldn't get enough of it. The last flight of the shuttle Endevour was to launch while we were there. It got delayed (surprise!) and it ended up launching 24 hours AFTER we left Florida. Meh.
However, not all was lost. We happened to be there on the day they launched the Atlas 5. We not only got to witness that but we got to be in the VIP section! Watching that was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. In my life! In fact, as it ascended into the brilliant and clear blue sky, I cried. I cried! It was so powerful. I was in complete awe of what I was witnessing. Until you have personally witnessed a space craft launch, you don't fully understand the meaning of the word "awesome."
It was at that space center that my Adam changed. Over the two days we spent there, an interest love obsession of space-travel consumed my boy. Good-bye Thomas the Tank Engine, hello Space Shuttle!
Ever since we got home he eats, drinks, sleeps....space flight. His goal now is to be an astronaut (just like 58 billion other little boys) and walk on the moon. He thinks that maybe, just maybe, he might even walk on the surface of Mars. Someday.
He recently came up to me and said, "Mom, today I was looking out the window and I wanted to be an astronaut so bad that I cried." Oh! To melt a momma's heart! I thought, "Wow, this boy is serious about this!"
That evening, he and I sat on the swing on our front porch enjoying mommy and Adam time. There was a full moon in a crystal clear sky. As he and I sat together we talked about his future as an astronaut and gazed at the brilliant moon that he someday hopes to walk on.
As we talked about it, he started to cry.
I think it's so sweet to see a young child with such a passion. Those passions usually change as quickly as the weather, but how great for them to have such big dreams. And who knows, maybe Adam will keep this dream and maybe, just maybe, someday walk on another planet.
I grabbed my camera that night and took this picture of that wondrous moon from our porch. I wanted to remember exactly what the moon looked like the night my boy was dreaming.
