Alec loved leaves. He would have us pick them off the trees and he would peel the green leaf part off until he had just the long skinny stem. It had to be perfectly smooth. He would ask for help and we tried to peel away the leaf, but Alec's were always smoother and more perfect than what we could do. He NEEDED his leaves. He would beg and whine until we went outside and stole leaves off of our 2 neighbors trees one beside us and one across the street. We always wondered what our neighbors thought as they probably saw us come out every day and go to their tree take some leaves and go back in our house. And on our walks , we had to gather leaves from the trees Alec saw. He was picky about his leaves, there were only certain ones that he liked. Alec always had a pile of leaves under his "Supper chair" and all over the table at all times. He would get so upset when I had to move his supper chair to sweep them up. He would stuff the leaf pieces into water bottles or containers.
When Alec was in ICU, two of the palliative care Doctors /team, one was Dr. Goldstein (who was so sensitive and helpful and truly went out of his way so many times to help in any way he could), and the other one was so sweet (can't remember her name), asked what Alec likes and we told him that he liked leaves, but the trees in the Hospital garden were not the right kind. The next day these sweet and so caring Dr's, came in with a bag of leaves for Alec. We were so touched by this and we gave Al one of the leaves and his little fingers tried to work their magic to peel it, but it was too hard for him. But we know he loved the feel of it in his hands.
We have gotten so many leaves from Alec. When we step out the door, there is one just waiting for us. And one just sitting on our car. There has been one hanging from the front of our house through the wind, the rain, and the snow. And there is one placed in our fence and has stayed through all the seasons too.
The leaves dance and spin in the air so slow and beautiful that we know it is Alec carrying them. I never noticed the way leaves fall, but now they are so beautiful to watch and I just stop and stare.
I said this to Nicole the other day, " Do you notice how the leaves just dance and spin through the air?" and she said "Yes". Then a few days later she told me that her son Kevin said to her,"Mom, look at the leaves how they dance and spin in the air".
When Alec was in ICU, two of the palliative care Doctors /team, one was Dr. Goldstein (who was so sensitive and helpful and truly went out of his way so many times to help in any way he could), and the other one was so sweet (can't remember her name), asked what Alec likes and we told him that he liked leaves, but the trees in the Hospital garden were not the right kind. The next day these sweet and so caring Dr's, came in with a bag of leaves for Alec. We were so touched by this and we gave Al one of the leaves and his little fingers tried to work their magic to peel it, but it was too hard for him. But we know he loved the feel of it in his hands.
We have gotten so many leaves from Alec. When we step out the door, there is one just waiting for us. And one just sitting on our car. There has been one hanging from the front of our house through the wind, the rain, and the snow. And there is one placed in our fence and has stayed through all the seasons too.
The leaves dance and spin in the air so slow and beautiful that we know it is Alec carrying them. I never noticed the way leaves fall, but now they are so beautiful to watch and I just stop and stare.
I said this to Nicole the other day, " Do you notice how the leaves just dance and spin through the air?" and she said "Yes". Then a few days later she told me that her son Kevin said to her,"Mom, look at the leaves how they dance and spin in the air".
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