It's Patty

Hi:

It’s Patty, taking over the blog for just a few moments. As many times as Brian has extolled my virtues (and displayed my weaknesses) on this blog, I figured turnabout was fair play. Besides, whose blog is it, anyway?

As these past months have passed, Brian has told you from time to time about his efforts in gathering activities to entertain and distract me and the kids. You’ve heard of excursions to waterparks, to concerts and such. I know that whenever Brian sets these things up, he feels two emotions – excitement about being able to plan something for loved ones, and worry about being misunderstood. Can you imagine that he has worried that people might think he is trying to capitalize on my illness in a callous way? I tell him that he needs to set aside such worries, because the kids, myself, those that really know and love us, and the powers that be, all know what is truly inside his heart, and it is nothing but goodness.

When Brian writes a blog entry, he writes about the recipient, but he doesn’t really talk about how hard he works to make these events special. Let me illustrate, by sharing what I know about the events before, during and after the concert Friday night.

Brian contacted Flogging Molly (FM) over the summer on PJ’s behalf because the kid had professed to Brian that FM was his absolute favorite. So Brian wrote to them and obtained a signed CD, a copy of their new DVD (before its release date), and best wishes for our future. For months, Brian religiously checked FM’s website each week to see when and where the band was performing. When he discovered that FM was soon going to perform here, he wrote again and asked if PJ could see them and perhaps even meet them.

Once it was confirmed that the band was amenable to that, Brian set about planning this night for Patrick in order to make it the most magical it could possibly be. He asked for enough tickets so that PJ’s girlfriend Kelsey could go along – and was granted all-access passes so that they could all go anywhere, at any time. He made sure that all transportation plans were worked out to the finest detail so as to adhere to the band’s recommendations for the best time to meet the guys. He made sure his camera was fully charged and ready for action. They hung out with all the bands before the performance, Brian snapping away, for more than and hour and a half, and then were allowed to stand onstage for a portion of the performance. They ultimately were given balcony seats, directly above the stage. PJ has not only memories of the night, but also signed T-shirts and many photos of he and the guys hugging and back slapping.

When we got home that night, as exhausted as Brian was, he sat and went through all the pics he had snapped, chose about 35 of the very best, and put them into a file to take in to Walgreens to have prints made, so PJ would have a brag book for the next day. He then woke up early, drove the file to the store in a car that is like being in a wind tunnel because of the taped-up window, and had prints made, and placed them in two photo albums—one for Patrick, and the other for Kelsey.

Can you imagine what a dream come true a night like this was for Patrick? It was, let me assure you. For Brian? A not-so-fun chaotic evening he toughed out, and remembers fondly, because he was doing something nice for his kid. Brian has a gift for finding things to make the people he loves so happy, and he continues to demonstrate that daily. Doesn’t that make me the luckiest woman alive?

Love,
Patty