Thursday, July 11, 2019

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2007. Mattie was five years old and was outside on our deck having a great time. Mattie loved his frog sandbox. He kept a ton of toys in it and in this particular case he was using the lid of the sandbox as a boat. Notice the fishing pole in hand! Mattie knew how to fish, as Peter taught him from a very early age. This sandbox remains outside our deck door, in the commons area. Children from all over the complex come to use the box. Many of Mattie's toys are still in there!





Quote of the day: All emotions, even those that are suppressed and unexpressed, have physical effects. Unexpressed emotions tend to stay in the body like small ticking time bombs—they are illnesses in incubation. ~ Marilyn Van M. Derbur


I am now back in Washington, DC. I spent the last three nights in Philadelphia and I am grateful that Peter has been keeping the blog going. As always, you can see he is quite eloquent and insightful! Therefore, I am glad his perspective is permanently captured in this Mattie living document!

The drive from Philly to DC took me a little more than three hours today. In reality the drive isn't difficult, until you get closer to the DC region. As soon as you hit Baltimore, you deal with traffic and aggressive drivers. I have to say that being in Philadelphia was refreshing. It is a city that has been totally revitalized. When I visited it years ago for a conference, the city was gritty. Now it is a pleasure to walk and there is a ton to see and experience. In a way, it reminds me a bit like Boston. Both wonderful and doable cities. Philly doesn't have a traffic problem, it doesn't have homelessness in all of its green spaces, and I did not see graffiti all over the place. DC..... you could learn a few things. In addition, every single person, I mean EVERYONE, was super friendly and helpful. I can assure you tourists in DC won't have the same experience. 

When I arrived in Philly on Monday afternoon, I met up with my lifetime friend, Karen. Karen and I have known each other since 6th grade. She was also my maid of honor at our wedding. It was Karen's idea to meet to celebrate our birthdays this year. 

Our first exploration on Monday was to the Museum of the American Revolution. First comment, if you want to learn American history go to Philadelphia. I think it does a better job than any current history book. You feel like you are living our Nation's history by walking the streets and touring the museums!

The Museum has a wonderful videos. We even got to see the original George Washington War Tent! 

In the exhibit entitled, A New Constellation: A Collection of Historic 13-Star Flags, we got to see 40 rare historic flags. The flags feature 32 different arrangements of 13 stars, representing the 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. The 13-star flag became the official flag of the new nation on June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act. 

Museum presents content in a very engaging manner. Check out this circle lit up on the floor! The Museum does an incredible job walking you through the road to independence. I was under some delusion that colonists ALL wanted to revolt and become independent from British rule. That actually wasn't the case. There were colonists who were patriots and those who were loyalists. Those who were patriots (wanting independence) had to secretively craft their movement, because the threat for punishment was NOT only from the British, but it was also from fellow loyalist colonists. 

We got to stand beneath the branches and lanterns of a life-size reproduction of the Boston Liberty Tree, a large elm tree where the first stirrings of revolt were discussed and debated. Ironically we were in Philly, but they did a great job highlighting the vital role Boston played in the American Revolution!

After our Museum visit we walked to Penn's Landing, on the waterfront. In the distance is the Ben Franklin Bridge. Each day we walked 4-5 miles touring around. 

At Penn's Landing, we could look across the river and see the NJ aquarium (the building with the dome). Why did I snap this photo? Because in 2006, we took Mattie to that museum. Back then we looked across the Delaware River at Philadelphia. This time, I was looking across the river at NJ, but Mattie was not with me. 

Penn's landing features outdoor summer concerts and ice skating in the winter. In addition, there is the Independence Seaport Museum and historic warships docked to tour. 

Also at Penn's Landing is a wall filled with LOVE locks. A love lock is a padlock which sweethearts lock to a bridge, fence, gate, monument, or similar public fixture to symbolize their love. Typically the sweethearts' names or initials, and perhaps the date, are inscribed on the padlock, and its key is thrown away to symbolize unbreakable love.

This area caught my attention. It is tree lined, filled with icicle lights and hammocks. Literally people were rocking away by the waterfront. In DC, if we had the equivalent, all the hammocks would be filled with homeless people. 

Penn's Landing also has a tribute to Christopher Columbus. Around this obelisk monument, are Legos. Many children were there building together and that seemed fitting given this was a monument dedicated to a mathematician and explorer. 

A park dedicated to the Marines. 

After Penn's Landing, we continued walking and came across this beautiful 18th century garden. One of the things I loved about Philly was its use of green spaces. Spaces free to the public, in which they weren't filled with homeless tents, homeless BBQ's, and cloth lines. 

On Monday, we went to dinner at a restaurant called Talula's Garden. An absolutely charming space only about 10 minutes from our hotel. 

Karen told the restaurant that we were celebrating our birthdays. So they treated us to dessert with a candle. Our server, Emilia, snapped this photo of us. 

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. That weekend we took Mattie to Pennsylvania to experience Sesame Street Place. On our way there, we stopped at the famous aquarium in New Jersey. We were standing in NJ, but across the river (where you see the skyscrapers) was Philadelphia. 


Quote of the day: Unlike other forms of psychological disorders, the core issue in trauma is reality. ~ Bessel A. van der Kolk

Hi again, it is Peter guest blogging once again. Vicki will be back shortly, so have no fear. I am just "subbing" for the good doctor (she has a Ph.D you know).

Once again, Vicki has picked an insightful quote. I had to read it several times and let it soak in to truly understand what it is saying. Thirteen words in one sentence can have significance, and to me the last seven words have the real meaning.

When one goes through a significant trauma, and by significant, I will leave the definition unspecified, since in my experience, if something is significant to you, it may not be significant to anyone else, but who cares.... because it is significant to me. This is one of the fundamental truths of trauma. Another fundamental truth of trauma is that it never goes away, or is healed or you move on from it, and any of the stupid platitudes that anyone who has experienced a loss has heard.... Trauma actually becomes a part of you forever, permanently.

I am no expert on the research, evidence, or modern body of knowledge when it comes to trauma. I am just someone who has experienced a really bad one. In our almost ten years since losing Mattie (3,592 days), Vicki and I have spoken much about our journey and what it is like (it keeps evolving). As you can imagine trauma has always been and will always be a part of it. It is foolish, and actually unhealthy, to think otherwise.

Our story with Mattie is one of many losses, and loss is a form of trauma. A short list: 

- We lost the prospect of a healthy child with his diagnosis.
- We lost the future of an active child with the limb-salvaging surgeries.
- We lost the privacy of our family unit when living in a hospital room.
- We lost the hope of a cure when Mattie's cancer spread throughout his body.
- We lost the love of our life when Mattie took his last breath in our arms.
- We lost our family of three, and drove home from the hospital as two.
- We lost much of our social circle, as parents with kids Mattie's age drifted away.
- We lost the gift of watching a young, talented boy grow into an adult.
- We lost family vacations, Christmases and Holidays with our child.
- We lost birthday parties, graduations, school projects and summer camps.

..... and the list can go on and on. 

I won't bore you with any more, but I will say this: Living with the trauma of Mattie's loss is something that affects every aspect of our lives. I cannot speak for Vicki, but for me, it has changed so many things about me as a person. I'll liken it to this:  It's like living a different life... one that is very, very familiar, but different, and no longer the one you are familiar with, but one that is indeed very real... and which becomes your reality.

Back to van der Kolk's quote above: the core issue in trauma IS reality... it becomes a part of you and like any major part of ones' life, it is your reality. You do not see it coming, and you don't realize it is happening... but you then recognize that something is different. This altered "reality" now becomes your present reality... and the memories, thoughts, emotions, and things of comfort and familiarity now no longer mean the same. Some are very similar and some are very different. And the differences pop-up with no notice, and you just have to deal with it and accept it.

For example: when I meet new people, typically but not always in a business setting, questions get around to "do you have kids?" And at that exact moment, I used to freeze (I still do a little)... because while I was a dad and had a child, I no longer have a child because he died, so does that make me a Dad?! So how do you answer that? I will not bore you with the details, but suffice to say, it has been a journey and one hell of a lesson learning in how to deal with that, each and every time. And this is just one example! 

I am sure most if not all people reading this blog, can reflect on their own traumas. And you should, because they become an indelible part of you... one that you cannot extract, take a pill for, fix or my favorite "move on from". No one likes it and it's not fair, but denying its existence can only cause more harm in my uneducated opinion. 

What I have learned so far from my experiences, is to forget what most people say to you... to heck with them. They will inevitably make fools of themselves and say stupid, uninformed things, even if they have good intentions (what's that line about road to Hell being paved with them?). 

But they are not you, and they have not gone through what you have gone through, and frankly, only you know what's best for you.  But I will say this: embrace those that just listen to you, and help you to reflect and to process your altered reality. Remember, you are a literally a stranger in both a familiar life and familiar world, and we can all use some help in getting adjusted to it.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Tuesday, July 9, 2019 -- Mattie died 511 weeks ago today. 

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. I remember snapping this photo of my boys. I got them matching t-shirts from Mattie's preschool and I thought it would look adorable if they went to the school's picnic dressed alike. 



Quote of the day: We are threatened with suffering from three directions: from our body, which is doomed to decay..., from the external world which may rage against us with overwhelming and merciless force of destruction, and finally from our relations with other men... This last source is perhaps more painful to us than any other. ~ Sigmund Freud

Hi everyone, it is Peter again guest blogging.... and my blog is about Freud's quote, so go back up and read it again before reading below....


I appreciate all the supportive notes I received from the last posting I did. To be honest, I set out with absolutely no idea about what to write.  And then I read the quote Vicki had prepared, and out it all came. It taught me something about myself in the process of writing. Call it an unintended consequence of processing something subconsciously and not knowing that you are doing so, until something is triggered and boom...

Tonight's quote resonates with me, albeit it a little too scientific for my tastes, but let me see what I can do to soften it. I believe we have become overly reliant on science, which has been developed as a defense mechanism to help explain or think that we have control over much in life (not really that true). In reading Freud's quote again, I do remind readers that all three sources he lists are all different types of "suffering", which is tonight's focus.

Living through Mattie's battle and being witness to the incredible physical suffering and pain, was truly unbearable. Whether it was the surgeries involving the physical removal of his bones that left him disabled and unable to perform basic functions of living, or the endless myriad of chemotherapies that pumped toxic poisons into his body that indiscriminately killed any and every cell, be them bad or good... we did it all because science had told us that this was our only choice. And through all of this, through all of this suffering, we were dealing with the first two sources in Freud's list quoted above: the physical, and the harm our world (in this case science) does to us. 

But rarely (in most cases never) did we ever, focus on the suffering, be it intended or unintended, that comes from our relationships with each other (i.e. between human beings).

Sure, we tried to address (thanks to Vicki's god given mental health talent) Mattie's Medical PTSD, Anxiety and other mental health issues. But keep in mind that theses conditions were the result of a reaction to what had been physically done to Mattie. Also, at no time, was any effort made to address the suffering that Vicki and I received. We, like other parents, were never part of the equation or even a consideration.

To fast forward, Mattie dies, and an hour or two after his body was wheeled down to the morgue, Vicki and I had to pack up all our things and Mattie's... his toys, his LEGOs, his clothing.... and leave to "go home". Want to talk about the suffering from other human beings?! It was truly a moment in time that will be permanent etched into the trauma fabric of both Vicki's and my own life forever.

So this is why we created the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation, and this is why Vicki works seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, to define, develop and to provide that body of psychosocial support evidence and best practices. 

We want to be sure that after the chemotherapy has been administered, and the surgeries performed, and for the survivors and their families, and for the 1 in 5 parents whose child dies, there is a Standard of Psychosocial Care and Support present to help address the suffering. 

It is what drives us from deep down inside having walked that path and experienced the suffering, back then and as we do today. Remember, that suffering will never be eliminated or avoided.... Freud was right about that... but it can be diminished and lessened.

Monday, July 8, 2019

Monday, July 8, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. Mattie was invited to his friend Ellie's, birthday party. One of the major highlights of the party was the pony rides. Mattie loved animals and having the opportunity to ride a pony in someone's backyard was not only memorable but super fun. I am so happy that my friend Carolyn captured this photo and shared it with me. 


Quote of the day: Trauma is personal. It does not disappear if it is not validated. When it is ignored or invalidated the silent screams continue internally heard only by the one held captive. When someone enters the pain and hears the screams healing can begin. ~ Danielle Bernock

Hello everyone, it is the guest blogger Peter writing today's post. Vicki is in Philadelphia with a friend who has remained a friend since childhood. Together, these two have traveled through life's many years, ups and downs, so they are taking a few days this summer to meet and spend some time together. Why Philadelphia? Well, it is the biggest city half way between Washington, DC and New York City, where Vicki's friend lives. Plus, neither have ever really explored Philadelphia. Their planned agenda looked exhausting, but so far so good from what I hear via text message.

I am not as eloquent or capable a writer as Vicki, who has written every day via this blog, for almost 11 years. Just thinking about writing every single day, no matter where you are, for 11 years is astounding, not to mention exhausting. And the content is anything but easy, as it chronicles a journey from having a sick child, going through the treatment of that child, having the child die in ones' arms, and then having spent 3,591 days since his death trying to figure out how to function in life (or in some cases, not).

Tonight's quote resonates with me personally as I am guessing it will with anyone who has ever suffered a significant trauma. I was reminded last week, when we went to visit a family at NIH who's child is starting an experimental trial after the "routine" medical treatment of care (spoiler... there is nothing "routine" about it) failed to eradicate disease. After the visit, both Vicki and myself suffered several days from what I would call a generalized, non-specific, revisiting of the trauma we both live with that resulted from Mattie's death and loss. 

It is truly amazing to me that Vicki and I could be so affected after just a 90 minute exposure to a similar situation that we once lived. Vicki said that the experience acted like a mirror for our own lives, and that its reflection back on us reminded us of what we survived, what we lost, what we are living, and what our future holds for us. I guess I put most of that into a sealed box emotionally most of the time, because if I let it occupy my thoughts, I would not be able to function on a daily basis.

What this all tells me is that I am living with and will always be struggling to live with the trauma that pervades my life. This is something that no one tells you as a newly bereaved parent, in this case, when someone loses a child to childhood cancer. 

So, I'll leave you on a more positive note: the family we visited at NIH was very grateful for our visit and the things we brought them. Vicki and I did nothing but provide a welcoming, understanding and listening ear. We did not try to insert our stories or share our experiences... we just listened. This ties back perfectly to the quote from tonight... 

PS: Vicki will be back online Friday, so y'all will have to bear with me for another couple of days of posts...

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2007. We took Mattie to Andrews Air Force Base's Air Show. The Base hosts a free show every May and it is open to the public. Since Mattie was enamored with planes and even self selected to dress as an air force pilot for Halloween, we had a feeling Mattie would enjoy the experience. I captured Mattie with a member of the Air Force behind him. Mattie had a great time exploring inside the planes and sitting in the pilot's seat in several of the helicopters.  



Quote of the day: The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just. ~ Abraham Lincoln


Tomorrow I am driving to Philadelphia to meet up with my lifetime friend, Karen, who lives in NYC. We are getting together to celebrate both of our birthdays. So while I am away, you will be hearing from Peter. 

Though the thermometer read 81 degrees today, it was sweltering. We decided to take Sunny to the DC Aquatic Gardens. It is a fun time of year to go there because all the lotuses are in full bloom! It is a glorious sight! A sight that we always shared with Mattie. 

Along one of the paths, we were followed by this butterfly beauty! Coincidence? I don't think so!

I think these flowers are so unique and so stunning. 

You can see the cycle of this flower. It first produces a bud. The bud then opens up and blooms. Once all the petals fall off of the bloom, you are left with something that resembles a shower head. 

A field of lotus! Lots of people were at the park photographing this incredible sight. In fact next weekend, there will be a special lotus and water lily festival at the park. 

A little turtle sitting on a lotus leaf!

I am just intrigued by these flowers and this garden. It is so unique. 

All sorts of water lilies too! Claude Monet would have felt right at home here. 

Part of the Anacostia river. Which borders the gardens. 

Green and blooms for as far as the eye can see. The irony is the neighborhood this garden is located in isn't the best part of DC. Yet once you walk onto the garden grounds, you are transported to another place and time. 

A view of the water lilies through the cattails. The funny story about cattails, is that once I picked a few of them while living in Boston. I brought them home and put them in a vase! I had them for many days. Then one day I woke up and walked into my living room. The room was covered with what looked like chunks of cotton. Literally the brown part of the cattail exploded and when it did, it released seeds. Seeds that looked like clouds of cotton. It took me hours to clean up that mess. Which is why I know NEVER to bring a cattail home again. 

The beauty of the DC Aquatic Gardens. It truly is a must see in our area. 

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken on July 4, 2006. Mattie was 4 years old and we were invited out on the Potomac River with Mattie's close friend, Zachary, and his family. This was our first and only experience watching the Nation's fireworks from a boat. Mattie was thrilled, as Mattie always wanted a real boat of his own. So glad he had this experience. 


Quote of the day: The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma. ~ Judith Lewis Herman


As I mentioned in last night's blog, on Friday we went to visit a 9 year old boy, Ryken, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Ryken basically hasn't known life without cancer, as he was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 4. He and his parents live in Canada. When I think of Canada, I think of a Country that is similar to the USA. But despite the fact that we share a border, our health care systems are quite different. I am not planning on having a 'political' conversation here about the advantages and disadvantages of socialized/universal medicine. As I know people have a range of opinions and feelings about this, yet after hearing this family's story, I can proudly say I am an American. Where I have the ability to decide and select my medical care and most importantly the care that Mattie received.  

It is hard enough having a child diagnosed with cancer. But can you imagine as a family turning to your health care system and finding inadequate care? How about your doctors NOT knowing about the most cutting edge treatment and research out there on your disease? Better yet, how would you like to be treated at a hospital that looks like a throw back to the 1970's? If I haven't made you pause yet, let's try this reality! As a parent, you do all sorts of research and discover alternative treatments for your child with cancer, but your government tells you that you are denied access to this care! Care that could be the only hope at saving your child? 

What I just wrote is the reality the family we met with yesterday faced in Canada. Which is why they are grateful to the USA and NIH (who is offering their child a clinical trial, which costs the family nothing to receive the medications). This family's story is harrowing and you should note that Ryken's cancer not only recurred, but his chemotherapy treatment caused him to develop a secondary cancer, non-hodgkin's lymphoma. I have attached a link below, if you wish to learn more about Ryken and his family! At the moment, I am on a mission to get connected to military members and local law enforcement. As Ryken has a dream of being such a public servant. Meeting these heroes of our society perks Ryken up and I am contacting everyone I know in hopes of getting police or military members to visit the family at NIH.

Ryken's Story:
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/corbella-thousands-hoping-alberta-boy-arrests-his-cancer-with-experimental-treatment


Now how did yesterday's visit impact us? Well I would say, it left Peter and I in a funk. Each of us expressing it in a different way. Peter's funk can look sad and he will tell you he is depressed and my funk, is also internal. I am not so much sad, as I am absolutely numb and somewhat agitated. Thankfully we can talk about this with each other, of course not having solutions to this, but acknowledging that the visit has consequences. Not that we can contribute anything about the visit to how we feel, as we visited for about two hours and talked and listened to the family. 

We were both cognizant NOT to talk about Mattie. The visit wasn't about us, it was about this family. I wish all the cancer families that visited us in the hospital when Mattie was ill, took this stance. I absolutely HATED hearing about their childhood cancer stories. I found NO comfort in hearing about the experiences of others, and I believe this was the case because we knew Mattie's prognosis was grim to begin with. Hearing people's survivorship stories simply aggravated me.

But what about yesterday put us in this funk? For me, as I was listening to the family and hearing what they are facing, I realized..... they are like us! There is little hope for this sweet and bright young boy. They have tried everything to hold back the disease. The trial at NIH is their last hope and resort. It is heartbreaking to understand this and we understand this unfortunately all too well. In a way, watching them was like looking in a mirror. Meaning in this case I was the observer, not the one living with the nightmare of childhood cancer. Yet I am not your average observer, because I know what it is like to see your vibrant child dying in your arms. 

As tonight's quote points out..... dealing with trauma is complex and in a way never ending. Because to survive in our world, we have to place the medical traumas we experienced in a box. Yet through this blog and with each other, we do give trauma a voice. It is a constant internal conflict to manage the horrors we saw and the grief we continue to live with while navigating in a world that truly doesn't understand childhood cancer. So in a nutshell, we wouldn't have it any other way..... we are committed to helping families like ours, but we are also astutely aware of the fact that helping others expose us to similar traumas we experienced with Mattie. 

Friday, July 5, 2019

Friday, July 5, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2005. Around the 4th of July! That year we took Mattie to the Outer Banks. By that point (after multiple summers of going to the beach), Mattie learned to appreciate the sand and the water. I just love this photo as it seemed to capture a happier, fun loving, and innocent time for our family. 

Quote of the day: In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Peter and I visited a family today at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. This family has traveled from Canada in order to secure life saving treatment for their 9 year old son. Treatment that they were unable to get in their home province. We were connected to this family by a fellow non-profit friend. I will share more about this visit tomorrow, as I am still absorbing the experience. As you can imagine it is a surreal experience to sit with a family who is walking a similar journey as us. A journey no parent wishes to hear.... that there is limited or no more treatment options available to combat the disease. 

With our visit, we brought coffee and tea (learned this from our very own support network), toys, books, and gift cards. Things we hope will support the family. 
-----------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, last night, we decided to walk to the Kennedy Center to see the National Capital firework show. For the past two decades, we have watched this show from the same location in our complex. However, with the movement of the show this year, we had to find a new location. Turns out I really like going to the Kennedy Center terrace to see the show. There were lots of people around us, but it wasn't so packed that I felt insecure. I felt that the fireworks were bigger and more brilliant this year than ever before. 

Two companies (Phantom Fireworks and Fireworks by Grucci) donated the fireworks this year. To my knowledge this is a first for our city! From what I read about the show, the following were special features this year:

• A display of the American flag in the sky 
• A display of “USA” in the sky 
• More than a mile of sky will be illuminated above and to the left and right of the Lincoln Memorial
• The “made-in-the-USA” Grucci Gold Flitter Split Comets will be a prelude to the finale, creating a Golden Glitter matrix in the sky. The matrix is intended to celebrate a “brilliant future to come.”

The people around us were good natured, loved the show, and Peter added a lot of cheering sound effects. Which inspired others to join along.  

Do you see the stars?

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2009, on Memorial Day to be precise. Friends dropped off streamers, flags and a bandanna. Mattie decorated his wheelchair in style and to me this is a wonderful patriotic photo to display on Independence Day. 




Quote of the day: The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor, and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly. ~ John F. Kennedy

This morning, Peter had the opportunity to walk down to the Independence Day Parade on Constitution Avenue. Peter snapped this photo of 23rd Street, NW. A major artery of the city, shut down completely. In all the years we have lived in DC, I can count the number of times this road has been closed on ONE HAND. 

Constitution Avenue! Completely shut off to vehicle traffic and what you can't see from this photo are the very high chain link fences erected for this occasion along the side of the road. People are behind the fences. 

The parade honored every branch of the military. 

All 5 branches of the military are represented: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. 

The Marines!

The Navy!

The Army!

The Coast Guard!

The Patriots!

Uncle Sam!

There were floats too!

A patriotic Cadillac!

Given where we live, we saw every military flyover this evening! You can hear these mighty planes before you see them. It is truly an awesome sight to see a flyover from your own living room! 







Mattie would have absolutely LOVED it and as soon as I saw the Blue Angels it reminded me of the incredible air show we took Mattie to in 2007. Mattie was deeply interested in locomotion and understanding the mechanics it! The flyovers were beautiful tributes this evening to the courageous men and women who serve our Country.