Instagram, a Frog and a Friend

I have told you about my stuffed frog, Norman, and his Instagram account.  Today I want to tell you about a friend we never met.  Pieter lived in The Netherlands, with his brother.  The first time I saw Pieter, on Instagram, I wondered who would put a picture of someone in a hospital bed, with stuffed monkeys hanging all around.  Then I read his story – the story of his family.

At age five, Pieter had a brain tumor which caused many physical problems and a rare syndrome.  Jump forward to 2015, when his brother realized Pieter was not doing well in the care facility he had finally had to enter.  A hospital bed was placed in the middle of a very busy household, filled with children, music, cooking, and noise.  And, along with all the medical paraphernalia, Pieter had a new home!  Home – what an amazing word.  Home – where miracles happen.  Home – where love can rescue a brother.

Pieter thrived on the noise and the activity and the music and the coffee.  He watched children draw, so he drew.  He watched people feed themselves, so he fed himself.  He sat in a chair.  He loved getting mail.  Did I mention he loved coffee?  He loved the stuffed monkeys.  He had a smile that made the world light up.  Everyone on Instagram loved Pieter, his family, and those monkeys.

I never met this family, but from them I learned:

• Families make sacrifices – Having a hospital bed, in the middle of the living room, would require change.  Not only a change in the arrangement of furniture, but a change in the arrangement of many lives.

• Surroundings do affect life – The noise, the activity, the music, the coffee, and, yes, the monkeys stimulated Pieter and he responded with joy and a smile.

• People care – Pieter looked forward to receiving mail, but the mail also encouraged his family.  Each stamp, each envelope, -- each card was a way for people to say, “We care.” 

In our day to day lives, we meet people who influence us – they are examples of how to live (or not to live).  But sometimes -- sometimes a person we have never met changes our heart. 

Pieter and his family changed my heart.  Pieter died July 5, 2019.

I would like to share the family comments with you:

We have to announce that our beloved Pieter passed away on the 5th of July; he died Peacefully after being very ill. We believe that he is in Heaven now, without pain and sorrow. We will miss him badly but we have comfort thinking about the Love we felt for each other, the Fun we had in spite of his Illness. ….We are so grateful and feel so blessed about the 4 years he lived in our home and we were allowed to take care of him. I know this news will make a lot of people sad, and a lot of people will miss Pieter and his famous Smile. But I will ask you to remember him as the Happy Person he was, enjoying the little things of life! …. 

This is the front of the Mourning Card we made to make the Announcement of Pieter his passing to our Family and Friends. We asked our daughter to make a drawing of a Photo of him and she did a really great job capturing his Happy Face and Wonderful Smile so well. Behind him you see a sheet of Music Paper of the opening chorus of the St John Passion from Bach, which was one of the favorite Choral Works of Pieter. In the past he was a member of many different Choirs and Music was his life! Unfortunately he became deaf and had to quit singing for public. But he never stopped singing in private, and even sang the beginning of this choral in the past week; very soft and flawed but with his whole heart! We like to think of him singing this choral in heaven now; loud and clearly! He also wears his favorite hat on this drawing..... The people who get this card will not only become sad because he left us, but we hope they will smile too seeing him Sparkle. We look at it all day; this drawing of Pieter makes us feel happy and proud of him!

But sometimes -- sometimes a person we have never met changes our heart.

Pieter and his family changed mine.