Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 -- Happy SECOND birthday Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation!

Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2006. One weekend we took Mattie on a Walkersville Southern Railroad trip. Basically these historic trains take you through the countryside of Maryland, which was very beautiful, serene, and picturesque. Mattie was in love with trains and truly loved the adventure, as he and Peter were walking between train cars and checking out the sights inside and outside of the train!


Quote of the day: The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. ~ Steve Jobs 


Two weeks ago, my dad sent me this quote. When he sent it to me, I liked it, but at the time I did not have the right context to apply it to the blog. Well that is until this evening. As today marks the second birthday of the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation (it was incorporated in the State of Virginia on November 2, 2009 -- two months after Mattie died), this quote seems very applicable. Actually it is funny. People were sending us HAPPY BIRTHDAY messages today on Facebook, before we even posted a message about the significance of the day! So for our Facebook friends and fans, we greatly appreciate each message today!

Many of you have journeyed the cancer battle with us and continue to ride out the grief process as well. For all of you who haven't forgotten, who check in, write, and stay connected, these are HUGE gifts. As I was reading through our Facebook messages today, I was struck by what my friend (Brandon's mom, Mattie's big buddy), Toni, wrote. She basically congratulated us and said that she is aware of the fact that the Foundation is our "labor of love!" In a way this "love" is exactly what Steve Jobs was talking about. Work and daily living are tedious. However, when you find something to be passionate about, then typically the end product is something great. Most things which come from the heart are destined to be successful. I truly believe that! In fact, I am a firm believer in intrinsic versus extrinsic motivators, even for children. Satisfaction and love for activities must be nurtured and not always rewarded with gifts, money, and other tangible incentives. After all, life doesn't give us gifts for each thing we do or accomplish. The gifts must come from within us. When "doing" is motivated by love, it usually makes us feel good about ourselves and about helping others. As a result this sparks an even greater love for the activity/work we do.

Some people have flesh and blood babies, our baby is The Foundation. Mattie Miracle embodies Mattie, his spirit, and it is his legacy. Perhaps it is our legacy too! Timed with the Foundation's second birthday, we distributed our November newsletter electronically to over 800 email addresses today! As the day progressed on, I received some very meaningful and touching emails about the publication. Up until now, Peter has maintained all newsletter correspondence for the Foundation. But with him balancing a full time job, this made NO sense for him to add this to his plate. So the newsletter that went out today was my creation. Since I love writing and taking pictures of events, the newsletter is a natural fit for me. However, like anything I do with the Foundation, the newsletter was also a labor of love. So when several of our supporters wrote to me today and expressed their thoughts and feelings about the newsletter and the Foundation, I was deeply appreciative.   

I will end tonight's posting with a sample of messages I received. The first one is from my friend and colleague, Lisa. Lisa wrote, "Bravo, Bravo, Bravo! Vicki, I am proud of you and Peter. One of these accomplishments is tremendous but taken together they are amazing."

The second message is from our new friend, Heidi. Heidi wrote, "What a wonderful newsletter highlighting the great works done by you and Pete. Mattie's memory shines on with all the loving work you do! I think it is wonderful that not only are you helping the medical community, but also young adults at Georgetown in their business class. I am sure you are looking forward to hearing all the ideas on November 17."

The third message is from a mom of a pediatric cancer survivor. Carmen also volunteered this year at the Walk! Carmen wrote, "Congratulations!!! Though this is not quite the word I'd should have chosen - as a family with a cancer kid. I am so grateful for what you and your organization have done for us. It was a great year with great achievements from Mattie Miracle. THANK YOU!"