Tonight's picture was taken on May 31 of 2009, in other words, five years old today. I remember this day as if it were yesterday. Mattie wanted to go out for a walk. However, he did not want to go out or be seen in his wheelchair. Instead, he decided to go in the radio flyer wagon that Linda (his child life specialist) gave him as a gift. So as you can see I pushed Mattie around my neighborhood in the red wagon. Clearly if you looked at his bald head, someone could tell he was sick, but that would mean someone would have to look inside the wagon. Mattie's wheelchair was a dead give away that something was wrong. There was no escape that way. After a while, that was tiring for Mattie.... the stares, looks, head turns, and side bar conversations were all hurtful and painful. Of course for Peter and me, the anger this generated was overwhelming and at times we wanted to scream at some of the people who passed us by. We never did, which is remarkable, because the natural instinct when your child is perceived to be made fun of or attacked is to protect him/her.
Quote of the day: It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being. ~ John Joseph Powell
This is Bob Weiman, Mattie's head of the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Lower School. As my faithful readers know, I refer to him as the "Magic Man." Bob taught Mattie magic when he was hospitalized. Bob would visit Mattie on a regular basis at home and in the hospital. In fact, Bob even met Jocelyn a few times and shared magic tricks with her! Bob learned the skill and art of magic from his father, who he lost at a young age to cancer. Bob shares the gift of magic in his job as an educator to every fifth grade student at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. Fifth graders then take these skills and share them in the community, at nursing homes, and hospitals. I have no doubt Bob's father would be proud of him. But as I tell Bob often, Bob shared a special gift with Mattie, because it was through magic, that Mattie found he possessed a skill that NO ONE else in the hospital had. He could entertain the nurses, doctors, and others in his room and in the hallways. Magic helped Mattie relate to others, especially at a time when he had trouble talking, using words, and feeling good about himself. Magic was magic for all of us.
In 2009, Bob and Mattie performed several magic tricks together at the Mattie March, which is why, Bob and his fifth graders always have a magic show at each of our Foundation Walks! It is a tradition.
table looked like at the walk. It is always a popular activity stop! This table was coordinated by our kid's activity coordinator, Debbie. Debbie has worked with us diligently for FIVE years now. Six, if we count the Mattie March which our caring community planned for us in 2009, when Mattie was still alive.
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