Tonight's picture was taken on August 8, 2009. I snapped several photos that day, as Mattie was surprised with a wonderful ride on vehicle. Something he always wanted. In fact, Mattie named his car "Speedy Red." I will never forget how I went with Peter to Toys R Us, picked up this vehicle, dragged it upstairs, and then watched Peter assemble it. Despite how sick and in pain Mattie was, he was very eager to test drive Speedy Red. Literally he sat in his wheelchair for over an hour as he watched the assembly process and provided commentary!
Quote of the day: If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it. ~ Lucy Larcom
What constantly amazes me about Los Angeles is the terrible traffic problem that exists here! Just when I don't think it could get worse, it does. There is constant congestion on the freeways at all hours of the day. Gone are the typical times for rush hours. We drove to Pasadena today as my parent's were getting their car serviced. In theory Pasadena is 11 miles away from where my parents live, but I can assure you it did not take 11 minutes to get to our destination. I feel sorry for anyone who is intimated to drive a freeway, because it is the major way of traversing this city.
In between doing chores today, we met up with a friend of my parents for lunch. I have known this person since I was in high school here in Los Angeles. It is fascinating in a way to grow up with a person and as I age, I view him in a different light. Now I am able to take into account a host of different factors that can impact his life and perspective. What I do know is my work with Mattie Miracle enables me to interact with many people. In the process it has given me the skills to get people to open up about themselves, their own life, and as a result I have a better understanding for the person before me. Does this skill come with age? Did I always have it? Or is it something that evolved after Mattie died? My answer would be a combination of all three.
Childhood cancer has taught me in a very raw way that everyone has their own story, issues, and in some cases heartache. All of which can effect how people interact with others and the world around them. I try to take all of this into account. What I can say is childhood cancer and losing Mattie has forever changed me, and I suppose I now look more than ever to understanding someone else's sadness and pain. When other people walk away from these sensitive issues, I walk towards. I wasn't necessarily like this before Mattie was diagnosed, but this is one of the many ways that reminds me that Mattie's cancer journey is not over for me. His journey continues on because childhood cancer is a family disease. To deny that Peter and I aren't still impacted would be naive.
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