Miracles

Deanna got to shake the hand of President George W. Bush. It was quite miraculous, really. There were more than 7,000 people crammed into an Auditorium. Deanna and my parents were near the back until Deanna spotted several seats in the front row of the 3rd balcony. After checking out the information with a Secret Service agent, Mom and Dad made their way there.

From that vantage point, they could see the railing where the President would be walking. When he arrived, he came in at the far left and seemed to be making his way towards the right. My father asked a Secret Service agent if they could squeeze Deanna in at the railing and was encouraged to try. At the very end of the railing, just in front of the door, Deanna and Grandma found a spot. Daddy stood behind them. The President began coming their direction. Deanna leaned as far over the railing as she could to reach him. He walked over to her, shook her hand, and said, "Be careful, there. You might fall." Then he walked out the side door and was gone. Hers was the last hand he shook, and he spoke to her.

She was thrilled. Out of that over 7,000 person crowd, he shook less than 50 hands, one of which was Deanna's. Her teacher had her walk to every desk in the classroom today and shake hands with EVERY student with the same hand the President shook. Deanna thought it was quite funny.

Another miracle - they had to be cleared by the Secret Service in advance, so my father had submitted their names as well as Deanna's and her social security number. Once their background investigation was complete, the Republican Party Office contacted us to tell us they had Deanna's tickets. Daddy picked them up on Saturday, but forgot to take them with him yesterday. There was NO WAY to verify that he had been approved by the Secret Service without his tickets. It looked very doubtful they would even be able to get through the doors, but my father went to a Kiosk they had set up and asked to speak to the Aide to a Congressional Candidate who is a friend of his. The people at the Kiosk asked him what the problem was and he explained that he had forgotten his tickets, but he thought the problem could be cleared up if they'd let him speak to the Aide. Of course, Daddy used the names of the Campaign Manager as well as the Aide.

The people in the Kiosk asked him who he was. He told them his name.

"Oh! So you're Rev. Hunt," they replied. "Just how many tickets did you say you needed, Rev. Hunt?" They handed him the three he requested, as if nothing had happened.

AMAZING. Anyone else would have not been able to get in. It sure helps to have friends in politics.

It was all worthwhile, even the 5:15 a.m. alarm. Deanna got to shake the hand of the President. She'll never forget yesterday.