Friday, November 20, 2015

Friday, November 20, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2004. We took Mattie to the zoo that weekend with his cousins! Mattie enjoyed his time with his cousins and though tentative about climbing and playing in a new physical space, he had a great time!




Quote of the day: Some strive to make themselves great. Others help others see and find their own greatness. It's the latter who really enrich the world we live in. ~  Rasheed Ogunlaru


Peter and I were visited this morning by a Washington Post reporter, Brady Dennis, and Bill O'Leary, a Washington Post photographer. They will be doing a story on Mattie Miracle and our National Standards of Care project and publication in December. Here is the funny part about all of this. On July 24, 2010, the Washington Post did a story on us entitled, D.C. couple keeps son's memory alive through foundation to help kids with cancer. You can read that story below. That isn't the funny part, the ironic part is that Bill O'Leary was the photographer assigned to us back in 2010! So this is the second story he will be doing with us, now five years later! 

When Bill saw us today, he remembered us well. Bill took this lovely photo of Peter and I in 2010 on our couch with Mattie looking down on us.

I joked with Bill, because the last time he was in our home, it was a disaster zone. Things of Mattie's piled up all around us, both downstairs and upstairs (this photo shows some of the chaos in Mattie's room, but this was taken after the floor was cleaned up). We looked like an episode from the TV show, Hoarders. Before Mattie got sick, I was a neat and organized person. But while caring for him and living at the hospital there was no way I could take care of things at home. Meanwhile between hospital stays we would cart home all the gifts Mattie received on a daily basis. We basically were ingesting more than our home could consume, and I did not have the energy to deal with it. After Mattie died, I did not have the heart to part with anything and was emotionally too exhausted to clean and process things around me. Which is why I only began cleaning out our home in 2013! Only two years ago. That is noteworthy in and of itself and I did it alone. I did not have support through this process. 

But Bill remembers the chaos and he remembers that Mattie's room looked like a warehouse filled to capacity with boxes. It was impossible to maneuver in the room. Very different than it is today (actually there have been updates to the room since I took this photo on the left in November of 2013)! In 2013, I couldn't take the chaos any longer and I also realized we were not doing Mattie's memory justice. So by donating his clothes and toys, I was able to save the things that were the most meaningful to him and they are either hung on the wall, displayed in the white shelves, or dispersed around the room. 

When Peter and I met with Brady two weeks ago to discuss the Foundation with him, we met at a Starbucks. However, I could see that my home office intrigued him because I told Brady that my desk is placed in the same spot that Mattie's bed used to be and that I do all the Foundation work in Mattie's room, surrounded by his things. This helps to always remind me what our mission is! When Brady and Bill came over today, they wanted to hear about the items in Mattie's room. Bill photographed them and us, and Brady listened intently to us describing Mattie's cherished art pieces and items. That may sound nice or typical, but it isn't for me. Rarely does someone want to visit me or walk through Mattie's items with me, to relive these memories and cherished times. I may have been conveying information to Brady and Bill for an article, but in all reality they gave me a gift today. The gift of listening and wanting to learn more about Mattie.

The Washington Post article from 2010:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/07/23/ST2010072305829.html?sid=ST2010072305829

It is my greatest hope that candy collecting and sorting is coming to an end. We are at 5,000 pounds now!!! I have 2,500 at my home (of which I have delivered close to 2,000 pounds between this week and last) and my friend Ann has the other half. Today Ann held several last sorting parties at her home. Ann's garage is lined with storage bin after storage bin. At least 35 of them!!! Pictured here are Maria, Dawnee, Peggy, and Jane. Our faithful sorters and supporters of Mattie Miracle. 

A photo of Jane and Ann sorting and organizing because on December 1, these bins will be loaded on a school bus at Mattie's school and the candy will be delivered to our remaining locations!

Nora and Anna are showing us that sorting is fun for all ages! Got to love the Santa hat..... I think candy brings out the festive in all of us. 

Get a feeling for the bin brigade? 

AND MORE Bins

Girls creating labels for the bins so we know which candy is in what bin. 

The labeling of bins continues through the evening!