Role/Model

INT. HOTEL ROOM CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

MATT, publicist, leans out the door talking to exiting local press member.

MATT

Thanks again. If you need a copy of the press kit, there are a few on the table to your right. And be sure to tell the valet that you’re part of today’s press day. We’ll take care of the tip. Remember, the film is in theaters on November 7th.

MATT closes the door and turns to face PAUL, the actor.

MATT

That’s the last one. Great work today. Do you mind signing a few of these?

MATT begins to gather the mounted posters and easels around the room and place the posters on the conference table. PAUL grabs a Sharpie and starts signing.

PAUL

Today was a lot of fun. I appreciate everything you all put together to help support the movie.

MATT

My pleasure.

PAUL finishes signing the last poster and place the Sharpie back on the table. MATT picks up the scattered Sharpies and drops them in his backpack. He turns to PAUL, who is powering up his phone.

MATT

I love your work but, I have to say, my wife is a HUGE fan of yours.

PAUL

That’s so nice to hear. (Pause) You should tell her to get down here and hang.

MATT

Oh, that’s awesome… but she’s at work.

PAUL

Oh, right. (Pause) How about we take some photos that will make her really jealous?

Photo cred: Meg Prindle

Photo cred: Meg Prindle

Close Your Eyes. Make A Wish.

"I'm mad at God because he took my sister."

May was a rough one. On May 4, I lost my a dad, Randall, to a sudden (though not completely unexpected) heart attack (May the Fourth be with you, indeed). A few weeks later, we got the news during a routine OB/GYN visit that we had lost our third child 16 weeks into the pregnancy,  after publicly announcing to friends and family via social media, sharing our gender reveal (It's a Girl!), and deciding on a name (Charlotte). According to the doctor, the baby stopped developing two weeks prior, meaning that Dad and Baby Charlotte's hearts ceased beating around the exact same time.

In the days following the miscarriage, we grappled with how to discuss the subject of loss with our two children. Our 18 month-old, Clara, is barely aware of the concept of asparagus, so that was a non-starter.  Sadly, my four-year-old son Cooper was well-versed in death. We'd recently lost Murphy, our dog of nine years, to lymphoma, followed quickly by the demise of an ill-advised, impulse purchase goldfish (RIP Fishy Swimmer). But the one-two punch of Poppy and Charlotte proved to be too much for Coop.

"Dad, I'm mad."

"Why are you mad?"

"I'm mad at God because he took my sister."

Look, no one said parenting was easy, but how am I supposed to respond to a statement like that? Especially considering that anger is a valid emotion and one that his mother and I were wrestling with in a slightly more nuanced way. So we let ourselves have the anger. We let a healthy dose of sadness in the mix too. And when the dust settled, we decided that the best way to honor the emotions that stemmed from our negativity was to turn it into a positive.. But how do you do so in a way that might resonate with a four-year old who does not have the patience or understanding for the concept of volunteerism? How can you extrapolate the positivity in an approachable, kid-friendly way?

FREE WISHES.

Kids understand wishes. Blowing out birthday candles. Falling stars. Magic genies. Wishes represent hope, dreams - they're essentially 100% positivity. So, to offset the negativity that May dropped on our family, we're countering with the essential oil of good vibes - Free Wishes. On Saturday, July 9, we'll be at the fountain at the Marietta Square stocked with pennies. Each penny will be distributed by the following guidelines:

• One wish per person
• All wishes delivered lucky side up 
• All wishes must remain secret 

We'll start granting at 9am, and we'll go until we run out. If none of the wishes come true, we're out three bucks and we'll have spent the morning dedicated to radiating positive energy. But if even one of those wishes come true? What an incredible tribute to an amazing father and the potential of a child.