Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2009. Mattie was home between treatments and you can see two things for sure. First, Mattie wasn't putting pressure on his right leg. He never did post-surgery, as Mattie was never able to walk independently again. But the second things was, look at Mattie's room. Mattie's room became a warehouse filled with toys and gifts he practically received everyday while in treatment. I was unable to keep track of things, so instead they went into piles. Also notice the aeromattress on the floor. When we were home, this was where I slept while Mattie was in his bed. Because Mattie was hooked up to all sorts of IVs, he couldn't be left alone at night, especially as he needed help using the bathroom. After Mattie died, it took me YEARS to clean out this room. Now of course we use it as our Mattie Miracle work space.
Quote of the day: Strength is the capacity to break a Hershey bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces. ~ Judith Viorst
Next week, Mattie Miracle is hosting its annual volunteer dinner. How did this event get started? Well it really started as a planning meeting for our Walk & Family Festival. It was held at a friend's home and finger food was served. But food wasn't the main reason for coming. Since that time, this event has evolved out of a home, into a restaurant, and now to a hotel. I really think in the beginning of the Foundation's history, I needed a lot of help brainstorming the Walk, which is why the planning meeting was crucial. Back then, I wasn't long on ideas and I certainly did not have the energy to devote to a fundraiser. As the journey of grief was all encompassing. However, with time this changed, and I would say the bulk of the Walk is my responsibility. It's a rather daunting proposition, because without these funds we can't run many of our programs and initiatives.
Though I plan, coordinate, and do a great deal of the heavy lifting for the Walk, I can't do it alone. Especially on the day of the Walk, this group of dedicated volunteers are miracle workers. My core group of volunteers are invited to our annual appreciation dinner because Peter and I know how lucky we are to have these friends. They have been with us long term and are generous with their time, skills, and resources. The event goes smoothly because of these individuals who run activities, fundraise, and help market the Walk.
I feel like a juggler. One of the things I am planning is next Tuesday night's dinner. On top of that I am trying to finalize Walk sponsors, raffle donors, updating the Walk website, and now just learned today that I have another strategy session for the Psychosocial Standards to plan on March 10. Of which I have to coordinate all the logistics. It doesn't end there, because April is our Item Drive month.
Check out our Amazon Wish List:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2UQOK4GY955ZL/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1
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