Themes
You Never Know What Will Happen, Until it Happens
"how?
why?
two questions that mean nothing.
how will we survive without you?
that's the question I will repeat to myself until the day i die." (Logelin 57)
Once Liz passed, Matt was dumbfounded, he had no idea what to think. This was supposed to be one of the most happiest times of his life, but he didn't know that his wife would die until he had to actually deal with becoming a widower and a father all at once.
" Still holding my arm, she started to lower herself into the chair. Just before she sat down, she uttered: ' I feel light-headed'. With those words, Liz went completely limp and slumped toward the floor, and with all of my strength I tried to keep her from hitting it . Pat frantically pulled the wheelchair out into the hall and yelled for a colleague. I'm not the strongest guy in the world, but I'd lifted her many times, and I kept thinking that I shouldn't have had that much trouble holding her up. I looked at Pat, my eyes saying what my mouth couldn't: What is going on here? 'This is completely normal,' she said. 'This happens all the time to women on bed rest.' And I believed her." (Logelin 61)
Matt had nothing else to do besides believe the nurse. Even though he knew that nothing was normal about this situation, but he wanted to believe so and that none of this was true. Matt didn't have anytime to process this information, he didn't know what was coming, this was a happy day in the begging. Matt couldn't believe they were joking around two minutes ago about how long it is taking her because she hasn't walked in five weeks, and now she's gone.
" I just wanted some straight answers. My questions were simple enough: How long until I can see her again? When can I tell her about the commotion she caused? When can she hold her baby?" (Logelin 63)
Matt held Liz while she died. He is still in a state of shock at this point no matter how much he knows she is not still alive, he is doing everything he can to not believe it. Matt now has to deal with becoming a father and a widower all in a 27 hour period. Happiness and sadness and confusion, so many emotions, there is only so much one person can take. Matt now has to put the death of his wife on the "back burner" and think about his new daughter that he has to try and raise.
Some of the Worst Events Create Better Events to Come
" I wanted her memory to be present, even if she couldn't be. Not in any sort of creepy way- we didn't set aside a plate of food or a spot at the table for her- but I made sure to talk about her and to let our families know that I wanted them to feel comfortable talking about her. Sure it was for my own sanity, but it was also for Maddy's sake, and it was something I did all the time." (Logelin 218)
Matt made it a priority to keep the topic of Maddy's mother in her life. Even after this terrible event Matt makes it very important that Maddy know who her mother is. He makes a bad situation into a reasonable one.
"I had plans to make another donation from the money we raised for Madeline from the 5K."
They used a negative situation to raise awareness and help out Matt. People felt sympathetic for Matt and wanted to help. Many people donated to the Liz Logelin Foundation that is dedicated to give support to grief-stricken families.
"I quietly opened her door, and just like I'd done every night since the day she was born, I kissed the tips of my fingers twice and touched her forehead. One kiss from me, and one from your mother. One for what could have been and one for what will be." (Logelin 256)
This shows that even though his wife had to die to get his daughter, he doesn't look at it like she died because of her. He reminds himself and Maddy that even though they didn't get to experience things as the three of them, there are still things to expirence as the two of them.
"how?
why?
two questions that mean nothing.
how will we survive without you?
that's the question I will repeat to myself until the day i die." (Logelin 57)
Once Liz passed, Matt was dumbfounded, he had no idea what to think. This was supposed to be one of the most happiest times of his life, but he didn't know that his wife would die until he had to actually deal with becoming a widower and a father all at once.
" Still holding my arm, she started to lower herself into the chair. Just before she sat down, she uttered: ' I feel light-headed'. With those words, Liz went completely limp and slumped toward the floor, and with all of my strength I tried to keep her from hitting it . Pat frantically pulled the wheelchair out into the hall and yelled for a colleague. I'm not the strongest guy in the world, but I'd lifted her many times, and I kept thinking that I shouldn't have had that much trouble holding her up. I looked at Pat, my eyes saying what my mouth couldn't: What is going on here? 'This is completely normal,' she said. 'This happens all the time to women on bed rest.' And I believed her." (Logelin 61)
Matt had nothing else to do besides believe the nurse. Even though he knew that nothing was normal about this situation, but he wanted to believe so and that none of this was true. Matt didn't have anytime to process this information, he didn't know what was coming, this was a happy day in the begging. Matt couldn't believe they were joking around two minutes ago about how long it is taking her because she hasn't walked in five weeks, and now she's gone.
" I just wanted some straight answers. My questions were simple enough: How long until I can see her again? When can I tell her about the commotion she caused? When can she hold her baby?" (Logelin 63)
Matt held Liz while she died. He is still in a state of shock at this point no matter how much he knows she is not still alive, he is doing everything he can to not believe it. Matt now has to deal with becoming a father and a widower all in a 27 hour period. Happiness and sadness and confusion, so many emotions, there is only so much one person can take. Matt now has to put the death of his wife on the "back burner" and think about his new daughter that he has to try and raise.
Some of the Worst Events Create Better Events to Come
" I wanted her memory to be present, even if she couldn't be. Not in any sort of creepy way- we didn't set aside a plate of food or a spot at the table for her- but I made sure to talk about her and to let our families know that I wanted them to feel comfortable talking about her. Sure it was for my own sanity, but it was also for Maddy's sake, and it was something I did all the time." (Logelin 218)
Matt made it a priority to keep the topic of Maddy's mother in her life. Even after this terrible event Matt makes it very important that Maddy know who her mother is. He makes a bad situation into a reasonable one.
"I had plans to make another donation from the money we raised for Madeline from the 5K."
They used a negative situation to raise awareness and help out Matt. People felt sympathetic for Matt and wanted to help. Many people donated to the Liz Logelin Foundation that is dedicated to give support to grief-stricken families.
"I quietly opened her door, and just like I'd done every night since the day she was born, I kissed the tips of my fingers twice and touched her forehead. One kiss from me, and one from your mother. One for what could have been and one for what will be." (Logelin 256)
This shows that even though his wife had to die to get his daughter, he doesn't look at it like she died because of her. He reminds himself and Maddy that even though they didn't get to experience things as the three of them, there are still things to expirence as the two of them.