"Life Is Like..."

One of my favorite gifts we have given volunteers is a book of poetry, Hope Through Heartsongs, by Matthew J.T. Stepanek, best known as "Mattie."  Mattie went to heaven in 2004.  He wrote this poem when he was just ten years old.

Life is like a story book...
Although we aren't
Able to talk with
Dragons and fly far into space,
Each day is like
A new chapter,
With new lessons
For our lives.
Life is like a dream...
Although we don't
Know what kind of
Reverie we will have,
Each day is like
A new thought,
With new hopes
For our lives.
Life is like a great waiting...
Although we can't
Realize when or how,
Each day is like
A new chance,
With new opportunities
For our lives.
As we travel and learn
And think and hope
And chance opportunities
In each day of our lives,
We must understand
That anytime
Could be the Time
That we face the fact of Heaven,
And never have to fear again,
So each day,
We should live out
The great dream and story
That our lives are waiting to be...
For we know
And we are able
And we realize that
Life is like
Whatever we create it to be.

August 2000


"Mattie's struggle with a rare form of muscular dystrophy has not diminished his ability to see light and hope in each individual and in the world."