Sunday, September 23, 2012Tonight's picture was taken in September of 2008. This was before any of Mattie's limb salvaging surgeries. In fact, I would say this was probably the happiest we saw Mattie during his battle, because post-surgeries, life changed dramatically for him. His mobility was greatly impacted and this naturally affected how he felt about himself and others. I remember taking this picture of Mattie sitting on this foam puzzle, and even back then I entitled it, "Mattie is on top of the world."
Quote of the day: The only way love can last a lifetime is if it's unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love. ~ Stephen Kendrick
I love tonight's quote because I feel all of us can relate to it in some shape or form. When we look at love in Kendrick's terms, love may not be as complex as we make it out to be. Mainly because in any relationship that involves love (not just romantic love) a great deal of the bond and connection is determined by the other person who chooses to love us. For love to work, it isn't only about our own feelings and investment in the relationship. Love must go both ways for it to work, and yet what is the key or secret to having a lifetime of love?
It can be harder to love people when you can't see them, spend time with them, or get feedback. Yet the love a parent has for a child I believe is quite different. All of this is not needed, because from the moment your child comes into your life, the love is unconditional and in our hearts we choose to love this being for a lifetime. To me, Kendrick's quote speaks to the reason why I write Mattie's blog. I do not sit and think about this motivation, but now that I am reflecting on tonight's quote, I realize Mattie's blog is the tangible by-product of my choosing to love him. Writing each day requires a certain level of discipline, commitment, and courage to express my thoughts and feelings to an audience. This determination to write at the core is based on my love for Mattie. When I lost Mattie to cancer, the cancer may prevent me from having a relationship with him, seeing him grow, and watching our love evolve, change, and solidify over time. Yet despite this horrific disease, it could never prevent me from being in control of my choice to love Mattie, of my decision to share his stories with all of you, and regardless of his lack of tangible love, I know his love still exists. It exists in every penny, butterfly, bug, and moon I see.
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