Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2008. Mattie's school counselor gave him this cute turkey hat in celebration of Thanksgiving and as soon as he saw it, he put it on his head. Mattie had a great sense of humor and spirit about him. Even under the most trying of circumstances. With that said, there were times he would get very down and depressed. We would need to pull him out of these dark places which took super human strength, strength which in many cases we did not feel we always possessed. However, we understood what was at stake and also realized what Mattie was enduring.
Quote of the day: It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast. ~ W.J. Cameron
I am posting today's blog early because Peter and I are driving to New York to visit my lifetime friend, Karen, and her mom. I will be writing from New York on Friday. We wish our readers a good Thanksgiving. I am well aware that the holidays are not a joyous and happy time for everyone. Especially for those who have lost a loved one and those who maybe struggling with other hardships. In fact, holidays have a way of only adding fuel to the fire.
Holidays can make us feel like outliers from the norm. We can get lost in the hustle and bustle of the season. People talk about their parties, writing cards, shopping, and so forth. In many ways these "tasks" as others may call them are just little reminders of the things we do not have on our "to do list" and aren't invited to do anymore. If you are one of these outliers, you really aren't alone. There are others of us! It is just not talked about openly because such dialogue, in a social setting, is an immediate conversation stopper and makes other people uncomfortable. Any thing out of the norm or perceived as different is a head turner. But meeting another parent who marched to her own drum last weekend at the Special Love retreat was helpful for me. I just wish there was a way that us 'outliers' could be able to have our feelings heard and embraced by society, so that we could better integrate and share in the lives of people we once knew. But this takes work on both sides. Not just the outlier/griever.
To our friends and supporters of Mattie Miracle, we are deeply grateful and thankful to you for supporting the Foundation five years and counting! Have a peaceful and meaningful day.
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