Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2003. We took Mattie to a local farm and as you can see in this picture, Peter had one hand on Mattie and the other on this cute cow. Though this picture was taken at a strange angle, I still love it. To me, the cow and Mattie were facing the same direction and yet neither one of them wanted to really stand still for this picture.
Quote of the day: And you would accept the seasons of your heart just as you have always accepted that seasons pass over your fields and you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief. ~ Kahlil Gibran
I began my day by exercising. When we cleaned out Mattie's room this weekend, I found this aerobic stair stepper exercise machine that a former student sent to me while Mattie was battling cancer. So Peter assembled it for me this weekend and I decided to try it. How such a small machine could be so challenging is beyond me. After 10 minutes, I gave up for the day, but realize I have a goal to work toward.
I stayed home the entire day and was glued to my computer. I was working on Foundation paperwork and remained quite focused on the upcoming Walk. In the midst of working, I received an email pertaining to my work with the DC Counselor Licensure Board. As some of my readers who are mental health counseling professionals know, I have been advocating for licensed professional counselors in the District of Columbia to be considered independent providers. An independent provider is technically someone who can diagnose, treat, and create a client's treatment plan (which basically allows client's access to certain services, services which are reimbursable by health insurance). For years, counselors working for the DC government have been told that they can't write treatment plans and therefore must be supervised and have a licensed social worker sign off on their work. I will spare you the details because for this venue, it isn't important. But what is important is the simple fact that all may vocal battles and letter writing paid off. I learned today that legislation in DC is being amended to so that licensed professional counselors can sign off on treatment plans and be independent providers. When I learned of this news, I practically jumped out of my chair. I walked around our home in thorough excitement, because you need to understand this is a battle I have been fighting for ten years.
As I was walking around the house, I went into Mattie's room, and I basically said to his picture.... "we did it!" Mattie would have been proud of me, because he would always get a kick out of watching me fight for a cause. In fact one of my board members told me today in a congratulatory email that I fought like "hell," and I should be proud of what I accomplished. For several hours today, I felt good. I felt that I enabled a change, a change that only benefits my profession and the people we serve.
This evening, Peter and I attended an event hosted by Hope Street Kids. We were invited as founders of the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation. In attendance with us were Ann and Dr. Shad, both Foundation board members.
The mission of Hope Street Kids is to eliminate childhood cancer through pioneering research, advocacy and education (http://www.hopestreetkids.org/). We had the wonderful opportunity to network with many people who have made helping children and their families with cancer their life mission. I met several people who, like us, started their own foundation because they lost a child to the disease. It was interesting to hear about their activities and goals, and certainly it is important to learn from others and collaborate on our common missions. Peter and I had the opportunity to reconnect with Dr. Peter Adamson, the chair of the Children's Oncology Group and an oncologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. We also reconnected with Ray Thorn, the Health Legislative Assistant in Rep. Chris Van Hollen's office. We met Ray in March 2010, while advocating on Capitol Hill. The ironic thing is he still remembered my name and our story. That impressed me and caught my attention.
In addition to the event being a good networking opportunity, the actual location was over the top. Peter and I had visited the Mansion on O Street in Washington, DC once before. Peter's brother actually had his wedding reception there. The Mansion is home to over 100 rooms and 32 secret doors. It is considered an intimate private club, luxury hotel, conference center, and museum. Even though the wedding I attended there was over a decade ago, this place leaves a lasting impression. I encourage you to google it and come to your own conclusions. The place is artistic and eclectic, and yet seems like something out of a movie.
Do notice the background of things that surrounded us in this picture. This gives you some idea for the rest of the house. It is a four story structure, and every room is jammed packed with art and other things. Needless to say, we all had a great old time touring the rooms. I insisted that Ann and Dr. Shad see the rest of the house, and though I tried to do it justice, they really had to see it for themselves. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time!!!
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