My daughter has a very rare genetic disorder. It causes physical and intellectual disabilities, and as a result, she doesn’t really have friends. Birthday parties were never a thing, so we’ve always celebrated in our own way—baseball games, handing out cupcakes to strangers, visiting a major theme park she loves. The workers there know her well, and she calls them her “best friends.” Right before her 8th birthday, she told the park workers all she wanted was to spend her day with her friends. A few days later, one of them reached out to confirm she wasn’t having a party. I explained the situation and that we’d just spend the day at the park as usual. But on her birthday, those workers did something I’ll never forget. They rented out a venue and threw her the most incredible sweet 8 party, completely on her level. There was a show, cake, balloons, and so many “friends” she recognized. She spent the whole day smiling and laughing. I spent the whole day crying. There are still good, deeply kind people in this world. And I’ll never stop being grateful for them. #KindnessMatters #LifeStories #FaithInHumanity #FamilyFirst