Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2007. That spring we took Mattie with Peter's parents to Key West. That particular day we went to an outdoor fair. Though Mattie did not like shopping or browsing for that matter, he could be encouraged to look around if he thought he could potentially find a toy or something to build in the process. It was rare for us to have a photo of all three of us together, but when I look at Mattie's expression here I remember it well. This was Mattie's smile when he was cooperating but truly did not want to take a photograph.
Quote of the day: The only thing that could spoil a day was people. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself. ~ Ernest Hemingway
Today was an absolutely glorious weather day in Washington, DC. Actually quite shocking because it felt like the start of spring! The tulips and crocus are beginning to spring out of the ground. I have no idea how they are managing this given the horrible weather we have had. Our birds were out and about and though I LOVE them, they have made an absolute mess out of our deck. When you have hundreds of birds that visit you daily, they unfortunately do leave their remnants behind. Peter and I know that in a few weeks when it gets consistently warm, the bird feeders will be put away for the spring, and spring cleaning will begin to unfold. I mean serious cleaning, with our outdoor vacuum, scrubbing of the deck and our chairs and table, and then the worst of it..... the painting of the deck. This is not a task I look forward to each spring, but once it is done, we love our outdoor space, and so do our neighbors. In the winter, I am known as the bird lady and by the spring and summer, I am the plant lady of our complex. I suppose there are worse titles to be given!
Peter and I accomplished a lot today and having met my tasks for the day, we then went out for a walk around our neighborhood. We saw people out and about and eating outside, so not unlike plants and trees, it seems that there is a rebirth of people each spring. This evening Peter and I are going out to dinner with Mattie's sedation nurse angel, Debbi and her husband. We get together with Debbi every season.
I distinctly remember at Mattie's funeral and celebration of life ceremony, Debbi mentioned to our attendees that though she was Mattie's nurse, her relationship was really with Peter and me. In fact, she went on to say that Mattie really did not like her very much. I am not sure that was exactly accurate, but Debbi did symbolize procedures and scans to Mattie. When Debbi showed up, Mattie knew he was going to get sedated. The only way Mattie could tolerate procedures and MRI scans was to be knocked out for them. Since Debbi is in charge of pediatric sedation at the hospital, she became not only a Mattie advocate, but a friend of ours. Mattie suffered from great anxiety and depression, and scans really triggered his symptoms. Debbi understood this and really tried to mitigate an already difficult time. However, Mattie never woke up well from sedation. He wouldn't wake up groggy or calm. Instead, Mattie would wake up agitated, angry, and screaming and this could last for hours. Over time, Debbi helped us manage this transition from sedation, by weaning Mattie off of sedation and by giving him IV anxiety medications. Nothing about Mattie's cancer care was simple or routine, which is why Mattie's nurses became crucial to our existence and an important part of our lives.
I must say that Hemingway's quote intrigues both Peter and me. Since Mattie's death, we do find spending time with people challenging and in some cases it can spoil our day. Yet there are people in our lives who are like a spring day, in the sense that they can renew our spirit by their kindness, compassion, and understanding. As we approach the spring season, it is my hope that we may all have the opportunity to surround ourselves with people who are as good as spring itself.
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