Walking the Walk: Part Four

(Read Part One)
(Read Part Two)
(Read Part Three)

Three miles. 

The course took us out of Soldier Field and along the beautiful Chicago lakefront, and I was in awe.  Being in the thick of it, there were so many more people than I ever would have imagined.  It was a mob of walkers, strollers, wagons, you name it.

I had no idea.

There was no bickering, no condescension.  If someone had a hard time with any part of it, everyone around them understood.

Everyone.

I know plenty about the autism community from my online wanderings.  I hear people toss the word around all the time.

I had no idea.

It really was a community, moving as one.  Forgive me for the cheese-factor here, but I found myself getting choked up more than once at the sheer massiveness of this event.

Making the turn to head back to Soldier Field was the biggest "wow" moment for me.  Turning around to see where we had just walked, and the staggering number of people who were following us, not to mention the amazing amount behind them, still on the beginning of their journey...well, if there was ever a part of me that didn't believe in the community, the Walk fixed that forever.

K and The Princess were patient and sweet throughout the entire walk.  Who doesn't love a wagon ride, right?  When they got antsy, we pulled off the path and let them run in the grass.  The Princess made an admirable attempt to swan dive into Lake Michigan, but - luckily - I caught her before she could do any damage.

Crossing the finish line, Nana ran ahead to snap a picture of JAK, The Princess, and me.  Never before have I experienced such a feeling, and I will never forget it as long as I live.  I'm kinda tearing up just writing about it, k? 

When all was said and done, more than 20,000 people made this three-mile journey.  I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am to have been one of them, or how proud I am of my girl for salvaging what could have been a hellacious day and turning it into a giggle-fest.

(Up Next: Part Five)