liveinbleublancrouge:

We all have dreams and goals. 

Jack’s biggest dream since landing in the ICU eight weeks ago today was to make it back to the rink and join his teammates in the locker room. His goal was to do this in time for hockey sectionals. And he did! 

Last night, shortly after 6:15 PM, Jack rolled into the St. Louis Park Rec Center via the zamboni entrance. He wanted his visit to be a surprise to his team and with a carefully crafted plan, thanks to Coach Pauly and several others, it was. Dressed in his red BSM hockey jacket, halo still in tact, Jack zipped his power chair along the backside of the west rink and into the locker room while his fellow Varsity teammates were getting a pep talk from Pauly. 

As the local paparazzi followed his every move, Jack quietly slipped into the locker room and waited for the big moment, the one he had been dreaming about for nearly two months. And what a moment it was. His teammates filed in and jaws dropped as they saw Jabby’s face. A rash of high-fives broke out and each player filed by, some leaning down to dish out a hug, others just beaming as they patted him on the shoulder. It was a moment they had all been waiting for. 

Returning to the rink was bittersweet. With all his heart, Jack wished that he could have returned in his Red Knight #13 jersey and skates, but none-the-less, the event put a huge grin on his face. As Coach Pauly said, “Our team is whole tonight,” and Mike Jeremiah, Team Chaplain, quoted Shel Silverstein’s book, “The Missing Piece.” He said, “Things are not perfect until that piece is returned. This is it tonight.”

Keep dreaming Jack. Last night was just the beginning of great things to come. We love you.