Mara Jade Wished She Could Fly

"Mr. Graham:

I met you on Saturday, March 5, at Salt Lake Acting Company, at the 3pm performance of "Climbing with Tigers". I bought the book, which you kindly signed, and I had my photo taken with you. Perhaps you remember me.

I attended the performance by myself to see whether two grandnephews and a grandniece would like it. And the performance was wonderful. (I'm taking them tonight along with three of their parents).

I have a friend, Heidi, who has a niece, Mara Jade, who has brittle-bones disease. During the performance the Holy Spirit whispered to me that I needed to get tickets for my friend and her niece. When I got home, I e-mailed my friend. I didn't mention my prompting; I just asked where her niece lived. When Heidi told me Mara Jade lived in Colorado, I thought, "Well, this just isn't going to work out."

Then yesterday, March 14, Heidi posted on Facebook that Mara Jade was going to be visiting her on Saturday (here, in Utah) and did anyone have any suggestions about what they could do together.

I immediately e-mailed Heidi and told her I wanted to buy her tickets to "Climbing with Tigers" for her and her family and Mara Jade. She e-mailed me back and wrote:

"That's interesting because my daughter had a dream that Mara Jade wished she could fly. I cried when I read this. I feel like I need to take her."

Heidi asked for four tickets, and she and Mara Jade and two other family members will be attending "Climbing with Tigers" on Saturday, March 19, at 7pm.

I'm going to give Mara Jade the book you signed for me.

As I said to you on March 5, "What a great mission you have!"

Jo Ellen"
--
Water-works going on over here, at Red Fred Project HQ today. How do you reply to something like this? It's so invisible and honest and uncanny. This production IS something special and we (Nathan, the Glads, The Jolly Troop and I) couldn't have dreamed this sort of excellence would be so close—so near the creation of the book—and created with such creative mastery, as has been displayed by our incredible creative team with Flying Bobcat Theatrical Laboratory and Salt Lake Acting Company. We couldn't have imagined these types of responses coming in or the mysterious threading of spirit and love. This production represents ALL THE GOOD that springs out of the human heart and mind when all eyes are locked on unfettered brilliance, sown together with kindness.

I can't wait to meet Mara Jade on Saturday evening, our new brittle-bones friend from Colorado.

Don't miss this show, Salt Lakers. Last performance is March 27th. For tickets call SLAC at 801-363-7522 or purchase online at saltlakeactingcompany.org

With all my tiger-striped heart,
Dal