Monday, February 16, 2026

Monday, February 16, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. Mattie's kindergarten classes put together Valentine's for him and also sent along this huge lollipop. As you can see, these items were a hit and though these cards may seem like little things, I have found that it is the little things in life that are really the most important and memorable. 

Quote of the day: If love could have kept our children alive, they would all still be here. ~ Lost Screen Memorial

For the past week, I have been hearing about this landmark trial happening in Los Angeles that is bringing attention to the role of social media in the lives on young children. Check out this article, Social media 'addicting the brains of children,' plaintiff's lawyer argues in landmark trial. Countless families have lost their children to suicide, which they feel is the result of their children being addicted to social media. An addiction which is suggested to be caused by social media companies who purposefully design algorithms to lure these young and impressionable minds onto their sites. In fact the analogy is that social media is like a drug and the media companies are the drug pushers. Needless to say the outcome of this trial could impact how social media handles children using their platforms in the future.

Mattie died at the age of 7, so I never had to face the social media challenge with him. Nonetheless, I can see society as a whole is attached to their cell phones and they are constantly posting every move on social media. I know after Mattie died, and as I am facing my continual grief and trauma, I had to remove myself from social media. Why? Because social media is not real. Instead, people post about all sorts of things to get likes and attention and in the process it is very easy to get sad, down, depressed, or upset that your own life doesn't look like the ones posted on our screens. I have the wherewithal to remove myself, but I would not have such skills and abilities as a child. 

Along with the trial, parents who have lost their children to social media usage created the Lost Screen Memorial. I encourage you to check out this moving website that features the beautiful faces of children who were taken too soon. It is heartbreaking reading each and every story, because you can see each of these children had a talent, skill, and spark. Yet our world will never know what they could have contributed to our greater good. Certainly how these parents lost their children is very different from how I lost Mattie, yet I can absolutely appreciate the horror, pain, and anger they are feeling. This creative memorial features the photos of children, as they appear on their parent's cell phone lock screens. The stories highlight depression, body image, and things like the choking challenge which children learned about on social media.  

Check out this two minute news video on the issue:

Switching topics, a have a Canadian Goose on my front lawn. She has been there ALL DAY today. She can walk and move around and is not injured. But she is being very territorial in my front yard. I tried calling animal welfare groups and animal control. NO ONE will help me! Geese are Federally protected and if she was injured multiple groups would assist me, but since there is nothing wrong with her, she is my problem. 

A lone goose is unusual, as these animals tend to stay in groups. Typically a lone goose is grieving the loss of a partner, tending to a nest, guarding an injured mate, or is young/unmated. Needless to say, I now have added a goose to my daily check list!