Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2002. We took Mattie to our sister-in-law's house during the Christmas holiday season. With us in tow was Mattie's jumper! That was another lifesaver. This thing attached to any door jam and enabled Mattie to sit and move around. Mattie loved jumping, swinging, and moving. It gave him instant mobility and freedom at eight months of age.
Quote of the day: True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable. ~ David Tyson
The highlight of my day today was seeing a good friend of mine who is quite sick. This friend was instrumental to me through Mattie's preschool days and therefore we have known each other a long time and in so many different contexts. While chatting with my friend's daughter, I learned that Mattie's cinnamon dough ornaments that he made for her back in 2007 were up on her Christmas tree. I am not sure why that surprised me given the nature of our friendship, but I have to say hearing this made me very happy. Happy in the sense that a part of Mattie was at my friend's house and she remembered who gave her these ornaments. These ornaments seem like a tangible part of Mattie and therefore through these cinnamon creations Mattie lives on.
When Mattie died in 2009, my friend gave me a Pandora bracelet with a charm on it. The charm was of the sun. That symbol of the sun has multiple meanings. Mattie's first love of the sun was the result of his preschool. Why? Because the school's logo is a beaming sunshine. From that, Mattie consistently drew and painted the sun into everything he created. But the quintessential sun for us was the incredible painting Mattie did with his kindergarten art teacher in 2008. Needless to say, after Mattie died, the sun was the natural symbol of choice for us to incorporate into the Foundation's logo. Yet when Mattie died I just wasn't sure how to remember Mattie. What could I wear or carry with me to keep him and his memories close to me. My dear friend solved that problem by giving me a bracelet.
For the past several years, I have been adding charms to the bracelet my friend gave me. Unlike other Pandora bracelets which may have flair, color, and style to them, mine is a bit different. It is different because I select charms that represent Mattie, our relationship together, and the memories we shared. Which is why the bracelet has bug charms, lighthouses, flowers, hearts, the initial M, butterflies, and angels. It is my MEMORY bracelet and it would have never dawned on me to do this without the encouragement of my friend.
Before I left my friend's home today, she gave me a Christmas gift. Given how sick she is, I certainly did not expect her to to give me anything. They say that life's unexpected gifts are the most meaningful, and I would have to say there is a great deal of truth to this. My friend gave me two more charms today, one is of a glimmering angel and another is a heart with a symbol of happiness on it. The charms are beautiful in and of themselves but what captures me is the meaning behind them. My friend felt that I bring her happiness and I am an angel. These are two charms that I will never forget and will hold dear! They are symbols of our special friendship which was created for me by Mattie.
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