Tonight's picture was taken on August 12 of 2009. Since by that point we knew that Mattie's cancer had spread to his lungs, his care team wanted to find ways to exercise his lungs. So they gave him an incentive spirometer. Mattie wasn't going to do any therapy per se without a buddy. So I had the dueling spirometers going in the PICU room!!!! Peter and I were used to being Mattie's therapy buddy for all sorts of things..... physical therapy, occupational therapy, you name it! Whatever it took, we did it. If Mattie had to endure it, the least we could do, was help to support him.
Quote of the day: Perhaps the butterfly is proof that you can go through a great deal of darkness, yet become something beautiful. ~ unknown
I spent another day by the computer working on the chapter I am writing. I am hopefully coming to a close with this chapter! Which would be wonderful since I feel like I have become one with the computer. I honestly do not know where the summer has gone, since I have been attached to a computer for most of it doing research, thinking, writing, and re-writing. It has been extremely labor intensive and in addition to that writing about childhood cancer has been emotionally laden work. Especially when it entails weaving Mattie's case history into the chapter, to make the research come alive.
This afternoon while I was writing, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something flying around outside the window. When I looked up it was a HUGE monarch butterfly. Literally it wasn't by a plant, but fluttering by the window as if it wanted to come inside or tell me a message. Understand that I live in the city! It isn't as if monarchs are typically hanging about here! I was absolutely stunned to see this butterfly. I tried to capture this visit on my cell phone but like all ethereal visits they happen too quickly! I took this visit as a sign from Mattie, a sign about this chapter, about my writing, and just his way of telling me to hang in there --- that it is almost over.
At the same time that I had my butterfly sighting, my friend the "butterfly whisperer" sent me tonight's quote because she was thinking of me! So apparently she and Mattie were on the same wavelength today! In any case, I am so honored that two of my friends want to read my chapter. That means a lot to me since they have been listening to my chapter saga all summer! It is hard to imagine how difficult this can be, I suppose until one sees the finished product! But here is the reality of all of this..... I have another book chapter due on November 1! I will be taking a break soon for a few weeks, but in September I will right back to writing. The only problem is in addition to writing I will have to balance that with running Foundation events and other Foundation responsibilities!
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