Friend #46

Vacation brings a whole group of new friends for me to learn about. Being at our cabin in Northern Minnesota for the 4th of July is amazing. The whole lake horizon explodes with fireworks. When I was a kid, the city's fireworks were in my front yard, so we never ventured to the cabin, as we assumed it'd be way too quiet and dull. When we arrived on Friday, each cabin had at least four carloads of visitors. One of these visitors, however, was not supposed to be here.
Matt is married to my childhood friend, D'Lisa. They were both widowed in their 30s and left with a combination of four children. Because of the timing of my yearly cabin visits, I'd only met Matt twice before this year. Two summers ago brought news that Matt had developed a brain tumor and had three months to live. With twin daughters just starting college and one finishing up high school, this was not a good time to die and he knew this. Obviously and amazingly, Matt's diagnosis of three months to live sparked his drive to fight.
Two years later, Matt is here. He has visual reminders of his on-going struggles. The left side of his once-handsome face is now drooped down so much that he cannot open his left eye. But he's here. He has a ten-inch scar on his head that resembles Frankenstein's monster. But he's here. His younger daughter had a friend with her at the cabin, and she fought with her father over her vacation curfew (which later turned into a grounding), and as she stomped off in a fashion only a teenaged girl can, I'm sure she was reminded that although she was pissed, her dad was still here.
Matt still has battles to fight. The latest being his social security and disability being rejected. Really? This man who once supported his family (and entered two daughters into college) on a six-figure income, has been denied. His wife is a full-time teacher and has been lucky enough to keep her job through the two years of emergency hospitalizations and doctor's visits, college move-ins, her son returning to MN after realizing he hated his college choice, teenage tantrums, and her own parents' ailing health.
All I can hope is that the government decides to give this guy a break. Not even a break; Matt deserves what is rightfully his. I'll be following Matt and his wife more closely now that I had a weekend to learn their story first-hand.
Let's just hope Matt is around to watch the fireworks with us next summer.