What Ronald McDonald Says

I don't know what the fox says, but I know that at some point along the way Ronald McDonald said there has to be a way to "Keep families together to help kids heal faster and cope better."  And so Ronald McDonald houses were born.  I had heard of them because there were collection bins for spent printer cartridges in all their restaurants but I never really gave them much thought....until I needed one.  In 1999 I found myself living out of public bathrooms and trying to sleep in hospital waiting rooms.  A case worker told me that she was trying to get me a room at the Ronald McDonald house.  Much to my surprise, it was free of charge.  I entered the house and thought to myself, "I have to call their decorator.  It's beautiful here!"  I was given a room with two double beds and a private bathroom, space in a freezer and refrigerator in a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area with very tasteful tables and chairs, laundry service complete with soap and fabric softener, a living room with overstuffed leather couches that "hug you like a fat woman" according to my husband, (He never has told me what fat woman was his frame of reference.   I'm just glad it wasn't me), and my favorite, a sitting room complete with a piano.  I lived there for several months.  I was so blessed by the volunteers who would literally do anything for you, even at their own expense.  On weekends, groups came in and cooked and fed everyone in the house!  Often there were groups during the week too.  I wouldn't have needed to cook at all if I didn't want to, but that was the one bit of normalcy that I had left after being thrust into that situation much against my will. Plus I would never ever get to cook in a kitchen like that unless I owned a restauant. 

Fast forward 14 years.  Last November my grandson ended up in a Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit at a large hospital an hour away.  After learning that he would be there for awhile, I immediately inquired to see if there was a Ronald McDonald House on the campus.  Much to my delight, there was.  Maybe overstepping the bounds a little, I reserved a room for my daughter and her family.  (I'm not usually that presumptuous but I knew what a blessing it would be for them.)  Below are some photos from the Ronald McDonald house they stayed at. 

---

From a distance it looked more like a hotel than a house.

But the closer I got, the more welcoming it looked.

Then it seemed almost magical!

Dinner that night was Chicken Parmesan

Who wouldn't like this laundry room?

A play room to die for!

If you ever need one, they'll leave the light on for you!

You can say a lot of things about McDonalds.  You can like them or not.  You can eat at them or not.  But being able to sleep uninterrupted at night helped me make the hard decisions that I faced everyday at the hospital.  Having a place to go to rest, relax, talk with other parents experiencing the same things I was just helped me to feel a little more normal.  Having transportation to and from the hospital was an added bonus since I was there because I had totally destroyed my own car.  Just knowing that I wasn't alone was a tremendous blessing at a time when blessings could be few and far between.  Being able to see and visit with my uninjured family REALLY helped keep me connected.  


So if you are looking for a way to bless someone who is really in need, I recommend throwing those extra coins into the box outside the drive through window, collecting as many cartridges as you can and dropping them in the drop box, or hey, better yet, send them a check, volunteer to cook a meal or man the front desk, donate supplies or give some time for a much needed project.