Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2007. As you can see, Mattie was in one of his boxed structures that he was creating. The white plates represented wheels and I know this was a work in progress because Mattie hadn't decorated it yet with paint, crayons, or markers. That was always a telltale sign that a box was completed. Mattie also liked to have snacks near him while creating. I almost forgot about Mattie's apple butter phase until I saw this plate near him. We took Mattie to Amish country in Pennsylvania in May of 2007, and it was there that he fell in love with apple butter. We brought apple butter home with us, but Mattie liked it so much, that thankfully I was able to buy more of it at our local grocery store.
Quote of the day: One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity. ~ Albert Schweitzer
Later this afternoon, Peter and I went for a walk and we passed these glorious orange tulips along the way. We stopped to take a photo of them because they are Mattie's color!
Peter was invited out with a friend tonight, which I was happy about. Few people truly connect with Peter, so when they do, I am always thrilled to give him this opportunity and experience. While Peter was out, I went to visit my friend Mary, who lives in an assisted living facility. Mary is now completely mute. It makes it very, very hard to connect with her and to know what is going on in her mind. I would say that most likely the natural inclination when visiting Mary now would be to retreat and not talk. But I fight that inclination and talk, read papers to her, and try to engage her even though the engagement is one way.
After I fed her dinner, she was trying to convey to me that her legs were bothering her. Certainly I can't do much to relieve her pains, but it is in moments like this that I try to imagine myself in her position. So I took out one of the lotions I brought her and massaged her legs, arms, and neck. Though she couldn't give me feedback, her eyes were wide open and at times I could tell she was smiling. I think going back to basics when devastatingly sick is key, and the basics always involve the senses!!!! Giving touch (through massage) and smell (through fragrances, that are different from those of an institution) when sick are gifts and despite how I was feeling today, it made me happy that I could do a little something to brighten my friend's day and make her feel cared about and special.
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