A Remembrance Video of Mattie

Thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive!

Dear Mattie Blog Readers,

It means a great deal to me that you take the time to write and to share your thoughts, feelings, and reflections on Mattie's battle and death. Your messages are very meaningful and help support me through very challenging times. I am forever grateful. As my readers know, I promised to write the blog for a year after Mattie's death, which would mean that I could technically have stopped writing on September 9, 2010. However, like my journey with grief there is so much that still needs to be processed and fortunately I have a willing support network still committed to reading. Therefore, the blog continues on. If I should find the need to stop writing, I assure you I will give you advanced notice. In the mean time, thank you for reading, thank you for having the courage to share this journey with me, and most importantly thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive.


As Mattie would say, Ooga Booga (meaning, I LOVE YOU)! Vicki



September 5, 2025

Friday, September 5, 2025

Friday, September 5, 2025

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2008. This was Mattie's first month in treatment. Even though we just began our journey, Mattie's art therapists realized early on that Mattie loved to create! He also loved Scooby Doo. So they traced a Scooby Doo scene onto a ceiling tile and we worked together as a family to paint in the scene. It took us several weeks, but once the finished product was done, Mattie was thrilled to see this tile up and on display in the clinic! In fact every time he went to the clinic, he always wanted to see his tile!


Quote of the day: We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. ~ Chuck Swindoll


It is 10:20pm and I am still working. It has been a very long day. I am dealing with multiple house problems at the moment! I have a pool that is leaking an inch of water daily. The leak detection company can't come until Tuesday, but with each day that goes by the more stressed out I am getting. Mainly because I know with my luck this is going to be a huge problem. Then on top of everything else, the insurance check I was expecting to help with the renovations from the bathroom leak was lost in the mail. Finally today, I was able to get the insurance company to cancel the check and to do a direct deposit. When I think how much more can I take, life never disappoints. 

I am literally too tired to put many more words together, so I decided to share a story I read about today. Meet Angus the Cat and his adorable owner Walter. Walter is 93 years old and EVERY DAY he put Angus is a wheeled cart and takes him for a walk. It is a charming story, because it highlights the special bond between an animal and a human. Don't underestimate the love of a pet, it can help us in times of stress, anxiety, and loneliness. I know after Mattie died, I wanted to retreat from the world. I felt that the world didn't understand me and I didn't understand it. But then I got the idea of rescuing Sunny (the Australian Shepherd) and Indie (the Tortoise Shell cat). As I always used to say, I may have rescued Sunny, but it was truly Sunny who rescued me. He got me walking and interacting with people again, multiple times of day. I went from having a very insulated life, to exploring the seasons and nature again. Which is why Walter and Angus' story resonates with me, and I hope it does for you too. 


Hearts Melt Over 93-Year-Old Widower Taking Out His Senior Cat for Daily Walk


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