Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Tuesday, September 28, 2021 -- Mattie died 626 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in September of 2008. We were home between cancer treatments and Mattie received this Oilers shirt and hat from a client of Peter's in Canada. I remember Mattie putting on the gear and I shared this photo with Peter's colleagues. I will always recall that moment in time. Besides dealing with hell on earth, it was also the time when I saw our community come together. Unite around Mattie, his treatment, and our family. In incredible ways! Though medicine couldn't accomplish miracles, our Team Mattie did each and every day with gifts of kindness, meals around the clock, and all sorts of goodies. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins. 

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 43,211,372
• Number of people who died from the virus: 43,211,372

While going through photo albums this weekend, I came across several photos with my maternal grandmother. Today, if she were alive, she would be 114 years old. She may have died when she was 87 years old, but to me and my mom, my grandmother will always be a special and loving force that remains in our lives. This photo was taken on my 16th birthday. I can remember this day and the special evening we had going to see a Broadway musical and having dinner at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (which is a well known theatre in Los Angeles).

This photo was taken at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY. I even recall the name of the restaurant at the hotel was named Allie's. The reason we were there was I was going to college, and Westchester was a stop over for us before heading up to Albany, NY. That Marriott holds special memories for us, because of my college years, because my grandmother's surprise 80th birthday party was held there, and because this is where all our guests stayed for our wedding. 

I practically grew up at the hotel and ironically in the summer of 2019, when I went on a cruise to Canada with my parents, the cruise ended in Brooklyn. After the cruise, we stayed in Westchester for a few days at the Marriott (we celebrated my parent's anniversary). However, while in the lobby, when the elevator door opened, out walked Joseph. Joseph is a long standing employee at the hotel who helped us back in my college days. He remembered us, my grandma, and our multiple stays at the hotel. As we were a multi-generational family when we traveled, and people seemed to notice us. In addition, my grandma had a very sweet, gentle, and charming disposition, so she made friends easily. Joseph being one of them!