Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Tuesday, February 14, 2017 -- Mattie died 387 weeks ago today.

Tonight's photo was taken on Valentine's Day in 2009. As you can see Mattie was surrounded by Valentine's cards. All the first grade classes at his school sent him Valentine's and a friend sent along this huge lollipop. Not sure Mattie ever ate it, but he loved playing with it and using it as a magic wand. 


Quote of the day: Love attracts, connects, builds and frees the beauty of humanity. Happy Valentines Day. ~  Euginia Herlihy

I found this Valentine's message years ago and have posted it on the blog before. Clearly this is NOT a message one can find in Hallmark, as there really are few cards that apply to parents who lost a child to cancer. 

Time moves forward, and yet bereaved parents the sadness remains. We may look normal on the outside, but if you scratch the surface and really listen you may see the reality of the pain. 






There are certain days of the year where I really don't wish to hear about someone else's children, their children's accomplishments, plans for the future, and challenges they face. Yet how do I say..... JUST STOP talking! If bereaved parents do this, then we are deemed as having the problem. Yet it is ironic that the rest of society does influence and direct what bereaved parents can talk about. It is a very lopsided problem. 

One of the highlights for me today was reconnecting with Becca (you can see her pictured here). Becca used to be an executive chef at the Clyde's Restaurant Group. For five years, Becca donated all the food to our Walk and even came to cook and serve it on site. She is a remarkably generous women who stands behind our cause! 

Becca has since left Clyde's and now works managing the local Nordstrom's cafes. We had a fun time chatting with each other as she made her two hour commute home. As I always say, Mattie connected us with some amazing people, that he left behind for us.