Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. I will never forget this moment in time. After Mattie worked for two hours on creating Valentine's for me in the child life playroom, I had the opportunity to rejoin him and get surprised with his handmade gifts. One of the gifts was this crown of hearts. I put it on my head and his art therapist, Jenny, snapped a photo of us together. I happen to LOVE this photo, because Jenny captured a signature move of Mattie's.... he would touch noses with me and stare into my eyes. I will never forget this ever.

Quote of the day: If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness. ~ Marjorie Garber

Was he not priceless!? One of Sunny's groomers LOVED him. Mandy would dress Sunny up to celebrate every occasion. In fact, she used to bake homemade treats for her doggy clients as well as make holiday ornaments with Sunny's name on it! She was a special groomer. 

This was one of my favorite photos! Sunny will always be my Valentine. He has left a huge hole in my heart and life.  

I try to use this hallway table to decorate for the holiday or season in question. I figure it gives my dad some cues! Any case, this was what the table looked like for Valentine's Day. I am very grateful to be the recipient of cards, gifts, and treats. I am deeply grateful to be thought about and reminded that I am special and loved. 

I really thought I survived the worst thing that could have happened in my life, but now I am facing yet another trauma that impacts my heart, mind, and spirit. Truthfully some days I just don't know where I find the courage, strength, or determination to get out of bed and function.  

After dropping my dad off at his memory care center, I had to take my mom to the hospital for a bone density test. We already know she has osteoporosis, but I think the doctor is even more concerned now given her issues with balance. 

I completed an application for Mattie Miracle and I needed a board member to sign off on it before I mailed it. Thankfully one of our board members met me at the hospital. So while my mom was getting scanned, I met with Brett. 

Brett and I go back a long way, as he was the one who gave me the courage to host a psychosocial symposium for childhood cancer on Capitol Hill in 2012. How did we meet Brett? Well in 2011, a friend advertised our Awareness Walk on a community listserv. Brett looked us up on the internet and then mailed us a case of BBQ sauce (from one of his companies) to raffle off at the Walk. After our event, I wrote to thank Brett. At which point, he suggested that we get together over coffee. So we met with Brett and we quickly learned that he is much more than just the BBQ sauce man. He is a professional lobbyist and his firm decided to take us on as a pro-bono client. From that point, we did many congressional visits together and Brett got to see us in action. I will never forget those lobbying years, advocating passionately for psychosocial care, and how our work has transformed the field. Brett reminded me of this distinction today. 

What I wasn't expecting when we met was to be the recipient of this lovely mocha and chocolate croissant for Valentine's Day. This may not seem like a huge gift, but to me, it meant the world. My heart aches today and to be remembered with kindness will never be forgotten.