Sunday, October 29, 2023

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Tonight's picture was taken on Halloween of 2008. This was Mattie's last Halloween with us. Given that he was recovering from his first limb salvaging surgery and chemotherapy left his head bald, Mattie was very concerned about how he looked. The staff at the pediatric outpatient clinic invited Mattie into their costume room to pick a costume of his choice. They allowed him to do this without the other children around. This was a God sent. Mattie gravitated to this mummy costume. It was perfect, because you couldn't tell that Mattie's right arm was wrapped up or that his head had no hair. Mattie trick or treated at the hospital and with his friend in the evening. It was a day I will never forget. 

Quote of the day: Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them. ~ Leo Tolstoy

With everything else going on in the nation and world, I suppose this doesn't have as much significance. But to me, Matthew Perry's death marks the end of a specific time in my life. The show, Friends, came out when I was still a student in graduate school. I remember it was on every Thursday night, and I tuned in, probably like most of America. In a way, these friends were dealing with zany and real life issues, not unlike myself at that time. So it felt like we grew up together. In addition, when I would go visit my parents in Los Angeles, given where they lived, it was not unusual for me to see these cast of characters in real life too. When I heard that Matthew Perry died today, as strange as it sounds, it felt like a part of my history also died. I view my days when Friends was live on TV, as a better part of my life. 

I am always saddened when someone so young dies, someone who tried to bring humor and happiness to his audiences, and also someone who struggled with mental health issues. It is very clear to me that addressing mental health needs and concerns in this country needs a significant overhaul and improvement. So many people are struggling and so many families are frustrated and exhausted trying to find resources and help. 

At around 6pm, I took Sunny out for a walk. The weather was still glorious and Sunny was happy to be out and about. While walking, I noticed so many people have decorated for Halloween. The extent of my decorations are a Fall wreath and a big pumpkin. So tonight, I made some Halloween signs for our door and taped them up. Overall, I am not a Halloween fan for many reasons and the beauty of when I lived in the city was we NEVER got a trick or treater! I am serious not in the 26 years I lived there. Living in the suburbs is quite different, as I am surrounded by families with children and their lives look very different from my own.