Sunday, November 8, 2015

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2005. This is another photo I have just found through our Shutterfly account. But to me it is adorable and so wonderful to have it back in my files. This was quintessential Mattie... always building and his milk sippy cup was never far from reach. In fact Mattie drank so much milk that I figured he would have the strongest bones around. Clearly osteosarcoma missed that memo about consuming milk and having healthy bones!


Quote of the day: People with anxiety and trust issues find themselves drawn to people of consistency because they feel safe with someone who is predictable. However, that doesn’t cure their problem. The anxious person still remains the same because anxiety is a wave that crashes on the shore every time an unpredictable circumstance challenges their expectations and comfort zone. ~ Shannon L. Alder



Peter and I worked most of the day on Foundation items. Which is wonderful, but also very absorbing and it can feel as if poof there goes another day. Peter and I had the opportunity to speak with a reporter from The Washington Post on Friday, and in our conversation he asked what it is like to work for the Foundation full time. On a subject area that is so personal and has affected our lives so deeply. It was an excellent question actually because clearly we do what we do because it is a way of keeping Mattie's memory alive and to build his legacy. There has to be some reason why Mattie went through his horrific battle. I am still looking for the why, but in the meantime, I can't let childhood cancer just die from our lives because then in a way we would lose all connections to Mattie. But is the Foundation all consuming? Absolutely. Yet I told the reporter, when you think about the fact that the Foundation is our figurative baby, that it represents Mattie.... then caring for it 24 by 7 isn't that unusual. Any parent nurtures and helps develop their child. Not just from 9 to 5, but ALL THE TIME. The Foundation is just like that, and requires the same devotion. Maybe even more in a way, because we get no feedback, no two way nurturing and love, and basically at the end of the day we have to be satisfied with our own results. 

My friend Jane sent me these photos last night. Jane hosted a candy sorting party at her home. As you can see the kids developed their own way to sort the candy. I have found that each sorting group has their own style and strategy for sorting, and in the end the results are the same. I enjoy seeing the creativity! 

Some people like sorting using bowls and some prefer to sort on a flat surface. At Jane's party, both methods were used. 

Sorting is truly fun for all ages. Kids love to sort candy. Probably because of the nature of the subject matter, but I also think it is the process. Even when children are infants, they seem to gravitate to sorting colors and shapes, and frankly even now as an adult I find the whole process of sorting therapeutic. 
We thank the Lytle, Pisano, and Sparrow families for a very productive sorting party on Saturday!