Saturday, July 21, 2012

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2008. Mattie was home, between treatments, and was visited by Coach Dave and Larry, one of Mattie's kindergarten teachers. Coach Dave had all his high school student team members sign a football for Mattie and they also gave Mattie several other school related gifts. Dave worked at the upper school campus, and Mattie spent only one year at the lower school campus before getting cancer. Therefore, we never had the opportunity to interact with Dave. I think it speaks volumes about Dave's character that he went out of his way to meet us and to help our family when he found out Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. Coach Dave is still an integral part of our Foundation, and our connection started on the day captured in this photograph.


Quote of the day: Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You’re able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment. ~ Ralph Marston


For several weeks now I have been milling over the direction of the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation for this coming year. I will be talking about this decision and the event we have decided to host and fund in future blog postings, but for now tonight's quote captures an important sentiment to me. Sometimes my own fears can cripple my judgment. I am very territorial when it comes to the Foundation, and when I am uncertain about how an event or collaborating with other organizations could impact us, I move very slowly and methodically. I try not to make any decision based on the whims of others, or even based on my own emotional reactions. After great thought, consulting with others, and assessing what will ultimately be a step forward in the childhood cancer psychosocial field, I finally made a decision. What the decision is at the moment isn't important, what is important is that a decision was made, and I feel very positive about this and what this means for the Foundation.

After a week filled with migraines, I am thrilled to say the pain is subsiding. Peter and I went out today and walked six miles around the National Mall. We saw many wonderful sights along the way which I will share with you below. Typically I am not a rain person, but given the type of intense heat we have been getting, the rain and cooler weather were very welcomed. We were at least able to walk around without feeling like we could pass out from heat and humidity.

It is hard to believe that today I needed both a sweater and a fleece to walk outside. An amazing difference from just two days ago. We walked passed the Lincoln Memorial today, and Peter snapped some pictures.

We continued walking by the water, and we came upon this wonderful group of geese and goslings. However, there was a young boy who was chasing the geese and scaring them. An older man walked up to this boy and explained to him why the boy shouldn't do this. As the man was walking away, I went up to him and thanked him for talking to this boy. I can assure you Mattie wouldn't have gotten away with this for one minute, because scaring animals of any kind was not tolerated. As I began talking to this man, he told me that he has watched these goslings grow up throughout the spring and into the summer. Therefore he felt territorial of them, which was fine with me. In this picture, the bird that was front and center is a gosling. It may be hard to see from the photo, but its feathers are fluffier and the bird is smaller and still developing.

As we continued walking, we were greeted by a Great Blue Heron and several ducks.

Peter captured a close up of the heron. This bird absolutely fascinates me and watching it fly seems like a graceful feat.

Here is a picture of the Floral Library featured on the National Mall. I have driven passed this garden many times, but today we got to walk through it and we checked out each flower bed.

I end tonight's posting with a picture Mattie would have loved. Mattie and I passed this particular reflecting pond on the National Mall many times when he was a baby and toddler. This sight captured me today.. a Mama Duck with her Ducklings! As Mattie would say to me after seeing such a sight.... "this is like you and me!"