Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2007. Mattie was five years old! That weekend we took him to Pennsylvania to have an adventure at Dutch Wonderland. At the hotel, the chef took a liking to Mattie. The chef enjoyed watching Mattie eat waffles each morning. Basically the chef prepared the batter, but then guests got to pour it into the waffle maker themselves. Of course Mattie LOVED that process! Before leaving the dining room that day, the chef dawned this hat on Mattie. Mattie was very proud of his chef's hat and that weekend away, with just the three of us, is one that I will always remember and cherish.
Quote of the day: Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems. ~ Gever Tulley
Yesterday I made the decision to contact my dad's memory care center to see if he could attend today! That means that this week, my dad will be going to the center four days, instead of three. At first I felt guilty about my request, but then I dropped that feeling quickly, because I came to the realization that I needed a break. I made the right decision! In addition, instead of my dad attending the program for only four hours today (which is what he usually does), I did not pick him up until after 4pm. So that meant he was at the center six hours today. Ironically he did not notice, which is no surprise, as he has no concept of time.
I had a conference call this morning about a national research project Mattie Miracle is involved with, as I helped to secure a $115,000 grant to study the implementation of the Psychosocial Standards of Care. I wanted to be able to participate in this call without worrying about my dad and his needs. The call was only an hour long, but being able to focus on something other than caregiving was a glorious feeling. Believe it or not, in the midst of my mountain of chores and tasks, I can still think about Mattie Miracle. Over the last few weeks, I have developed the concept of a new implementation award for clinicians and researchers. Toward the end of today's conference call, I strategized the next steps on making this a reality. For me, I celebrate the little things because truthfully the fact that I can still run the Foundation, is a Mattie Miracle in and of itself.
Without my dad in tow today, I was able to get many things done, as well as take my mom out for tea. We got caught in a deluge of rain, but honestly today my mom and I felt much more relaxed. Peter has been telling me to leave my dad longer at the memory care center. I have been hesitant because I am always worried about my dad. But I listened to Peter, and finally absorbed what he has been saying to me. It was a great decision and it was a good learning lesson for me today.
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