On Thursday last week my family and I decided to go to the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). We were in Chicago after picking up my husband from O’Hare’s International Airport and had gotten a hotel to enjoy some intentional family time.
After some Google searching, I discovered that reserving a time slot and purchasing tickets ahead of time came highly recommended. We traveled from our hotel in Aurora, IL and made our way east on I-88. Along the way, I reserved our time slot for 1:00PM and filled out my credit card information. We would have 50 minutes to park, find something quick to eat, and get to the tower to check-in 15 minutes early. No sweat.
We found the parking garage located across the street and entered a 6’2” clearance. Uncertain if our truck would even fit, we held our breath as we inched under the sign. Although it felt like the cement columns would scrape off the top of the cab, we fit and made our way up the 5-level parking garage to find ourselves a parking spot. We found one and parked. Grabbing our belongings and masks, we made our way to the stairwell to get down to street level.
Grabbing hands of our “littles” we found the nearest crosswalk and waited for our turn to cross the street. It felt exciting to be in the city! There was a lot to take in with the skyscrapers, doormen, pedestrians, and smells and sounds coming from the streets. We asked the doorman for the Willis Tower where we could eat a quick Chicago-style hotdog. He recommended Luke’s which was only a half-block’s walk away. We thanked him, walked quickly over to the restaurant, and ordered our lunch.
It was a dreary fall day and the wind had a bite on it. Sitting next to a window in the corner of the popular Luke’s made eating our quick lunch all the more enjoyable. I wanted it as “Chicago style” as I could get it and it delivered! The “Chicago Style All Beef Vienna” came with a poppy seed bun with mustard, relish, onion, tomatoes, kosher pickles, celery salt and hot peppers - an interesting combination, but delicious!
We inhaled our food and made our way back to the tower. We entered the entrance on South Franklin Street and made our way to the escalators to go down two stories. (I found it amusing that in order to go up to the 103 floor, I had to go down two floors first.)
Before heading up to the what is known as Skydeck Chicago on the 103 floor, we first went through the Skydeck Experience which walked us through an interactive 30-60 minute Chicago experience which shared Chicago’s best and rich history. I found it informative yet never once boring.
We finally made it to the line to where we could see the elevator that would take us high in the sky, and on a dreary Thursday afternoon, there wasn’t much of a wait. Excitement was building for the ride to the top, and the elevator arrived - letting off about 20 or so people. It was our turn to ride and ensuring my family of six was all together, the doors closed.
The elevator ride lasted about 60-seconds with a video sharing some fun facts about the tower on the way up. We were amazed at how quickly the elevator was passing through 20 floors - making 103 seem like cake. The higher and higher we climbed, I noticed my youngest son, Titus, getting more and more wide-eyed. He was clearly nervous.
The doors opened and we stepped out onto the Skydeck floor. The children were higher than they had ever been in a structure before - 1,353 feet to be exact. The views spoke for themselves and we took our sweet time making our way around the large floor - taking pictures, checking out the gift shop, and taking more pictures.
The Skydeck which opened in 1974 attracts more than 1.7 million visitors annually who enjoy views of up to 50 miles and four states. The Ledge which opened in 2009 dares visitors to attempt a new Chicago experience: stand on The Ledge and feel the city from 103 floors over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River.
There are currently four ledges with the fifth one under construction. Three layers of half-inch thick glass is all that separates you from the city below. The ledge jets out of the building 4 feet 3 inches and the feeling is surreal. There’s an organized line with time limits (60 seconds for 1-2 people, 120 seconds for 3+). My family of six was going to have two minutes to experience the thrill and terror of stepping out onto glass. Yes, glass, over a city below.
Both Jeremiah and I have sky-dived before - even together - so the height thing wasn’t a new thing - but it was still a thing! We got in line for our turn on The Ledge and watched as the people before us took some interesting poses and pictures.
It was finally our turn! Setting our belongings down we pulled out our phones and stepped out onto the glass. My children were all pretty brave…all except Titus. Titus, who never liked to be thrown up in the air as a baby or toddler wasn’t feeling brave at all. He stood right near the edge with his feet firmly planted - on the inside of the building.
Now, we had learned on our way up to the 103 floor that the structure of the glass was three layers of half-inch thick glass. Its engineering had taken a year to design and six months to complete. It could withstand 10,000 pounds - if five elephants could indeed squeeze their big butts into one of those boxes. But none of that mattered to Titus!
We were up as high as he had ever been in his life and it was terrifying to his small, 43-inch tall frame. But what made the next moment remarkable is that I didn’t have to coax him that the elephants could fit and the engineers did a solid job and that the ledge had been intact for 12 years already. All I had to say were two powerful words. Words that I will spend my motherhood building and nurturing… Words that take a lifetime to build and a moment to lose… Words that every healthy relationship requires for it to be of any worth or value...
What did I tell Titus?
“Trust me.”
Yes, all he needed to hear in order for him to step from carpet to glass was something that I’m very intentional on building with my children - the strongest structure of all - trust.
Because if love were a building, trust would be its frame.
For without trust, love cannot and will not withstand all that life will want to throw at it.
Titus, come out with us! It’s OK! You’ll be safe! I’m right here with you. Trust me! Both my husband and I extended our hands to him and he hesitantly grabbed one of mine. Safe near my side, I knelt down and felt his little heart beating through his chest. Still very much afraid, but safe, we spent the next 120-seconds getting some good family pictures in an unforgettable place high in the sky.
We’re safely home now and still talking about the Willis Tower! If you were to ask three of my children, they loved the entire experience. Titus, however, still has some reservations about the whole thing! But one thing is for certain…trust is a powerful force! It can motivate someone to take a brave little step 1,353 feet up out onto three layers of half-inch glass over a concrete city below.
