Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2004. Mattie was in Boston visiting Peter's parents, and that particular day we stopped by their local pond to feed the Canadian geese and ducks. Mattie and I both loved the geese and ducks, and we had a whole strategy about which goose or duck should be fed first.
Quote of the day: The grief they have experienced has made them more empathetic to the grief of others. ~ Bill Doyle
I am happy to report that after almost 24 hours of travel, Peter arrived safely in Rwanda. He reports that his flights to Brussels and then to Rwanda were smooth and not over booked. His symptoms remain about the same, but I am so happy that the long travel did not debilitate him further.
I spent a good portion of the day running chores. In the later part of the afternoon, I went to visit Mary (Ann's mom). Mary has been very worried about Peter, and in essence me. She was anxiously awaiting to hear whether Peter landed safely, and while I was visiting her, Peter emailed me to let me know he was okay. Mary was thrilled to be able to hear this good news directly.
This evening was Mattie's preschool's annual auction. I went last year, and also felt compelled to go tonight. I will never forget Mattie's preschool and his positive experience there. Those two years could have been the happiest in his life. He developed amazing skills and self confidence at this school, and in so many ways, Peter and I would have been lost without the support from Resurrection Children's Center and St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School during Mattie's cancer battle. To me, these are amazing schools and communities.
I went to the auction with Ann, and though we do not talk about this outright, I know she is aware of the fact that it is hard for me to be in a room filled with parents of preschoolers. Many of these parents I knew from when Mattie attended school. Typically what unites parents in conversation is their children. Naturally this makes chatting with me a little more challenging. In a way, it is almost like being a mom happened in another lifetime for me.
Each year at the auction, they show a video of the children in each classroom. Just like last year, I left before the showing of that video. Ann and I went out to dinner together, and then returned at the end of the evening to claim the items we bid on and won. Peter and I won a get away weekend in October, and I am happy that we can take this much needed break together. I actually felt guilty for winning this item, since I knew there was another couple who wanted this package as well. However, as Ann reminded me, we deserve a vacation too. In so many ways, after Mattie died, I feel we no longer are entitled to anything. It is an interesting mindset and dynamic. Peter gets a kick out of watching me at auctions, and tonight I wouldn't have disappointed him. Mainly because I turn into another person. A person who is outwardly competitive and when I get my mind set on wanting to win, I can become persistent and tenacious.
1 comment:
I'm so glad you won the vacation - it is very deserved! It was so nice to officially meet you.
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