Here's how Lily stole the show
The standing ovation of one resounded Monday as the credits rolled for “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
It was a special showing for a special girl at Hayden Discount Cinema.
Lily Brookes, 9, of Coeur d’Alene, was on her feet in the back row to show her delight. And then she moved to the front of the theater to look at the names of those who made the film.
“She loves words,” Grandmother Rita Willard of Hayden told Huckleberries.
Lily, daughter of James and Krista Brookes of Coeur d’Alene, has felt the isolation of the COVID pandemic more than most. She was born on Leap Day 2012 with cerebral palsy and autism.
Lily epitomizes the term, “high risk.”
Her parents and grandparents handle her with care. No trips to the grocery store. No eating at Chuck E. Cheese. No outings to parks or playgrounds. No daily speech therapy. Lily was so excited to get out of the house to see her doctor last fall that she didn’t mind the flu shot that came with the visit.
Earlier this month, Lily’s father contacted theater owner Mike Lehosit, hoping he could provide a safe environment to celebrate Lily’s ninth birthday. James’ request hit home. Lehosit’s daughter, Lydia, 14, has auto-immune issues, too. And, being born on March 1, Lydia, in essence, shares a birthday with Lily.
“I have a tremendous respect for families that have kids with disabilities,” Mike told Huckleberries this week. “It’s tough.”
James Brookes had offered to rent a theater for a special showing. But the theater owner had something better in mind. He invited Lily, her parents, and her grandparents to be his guests at a private showing of “Raya” before the movie house began airing its daily shows. The Disney film only came out last Friday.
And that’s how we help one another get through these trying times.
Inner toughness
There’s a reason the five bronze statues of Mudgy Moose and Millie Mouse, all around the town, haven’t toppled over or broken under the weight of children. Artist Terry Lee knew that youth — and not just little ones — would climb onto his sculpted figures of Susan Nipp’s famed characters. So he reinforced their innards. The statues are magnets for small fries. Deanna Goodlander, the late, former councilwoman — and Terry’s sister — once told Huckleberries: “If you notice, some of the sculptures have shiny spots where the patina has been rubbed off from the hand pats they get.” How strong are Terry’s bronzes? Huckleberries has seen a goofy teen hanging from an antler at Independence Point in a vain attempt to damage Mudgy. He didn’t, thanks to Terry’s understanding of human nature.
Huckleberries
• Poet’s Corner: To spend all the money/the President wishes/we’ll need one more feat like/the loaves and the fishes — The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Lord, Please Send Us A Budget Miracle”)
• Two masked, middle-aged women were in line at the Target checkout counter Wednesday when one said to the other: “Am I far enough away?” She explained, “I’m from Priest Lake, and no one up there wears a mask.” Does anyone wear a mask north of Prairie Avenue?
• While waiting two hours on hold with the IRS, Councilwoman Kiki Miller perused council business, wrote two greeting cards, and bought these things online: shower curtain, phone charger, slippers, meat thermometer, derby hat, and loofah. She finished her taxes, too. Afterward, Kiki quipped that the long wait was “a ploy to stimulate the economy.”
• Denise Chamberlain reminds people not to throw their used masks on the ground. “In a 15-minute walk last week, I found five or six,” Denise tells Huckleberries. “I need to take a plastic bag with me to pick them up.” The mothers of these litterbugs would be proud — not.
• Vicki Isakson of the NIC Work Training Center wants to start a support group for people, like her, who plan to build a house this spring or summer. Yeah, she said, lumber costs are that high.
Parting Shot
Realtor Diana Witherspoon of Post Falls was all in when son Mike, 14, texted that he wanted “Chilean Hotdogs” Saturday. “Sounds interesting,” she texted back. “Did you find a new recipe?” Pause. Then, kiddo responded, “I’ve made ‘chili and hotdogs’ since I was 7.” Dianna realized she’d been duped by autocorrect. Then, disappointment set in. “Chilean Hotdogs” sounded yummy.
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D.F. “Dave” Oliveria can be contacted at dfo@cdapress.com.
