[Target] joy.

Sometimes life gives you the best news in the middle of Target.

Life keeps moving despite the challenging times and the best of times.

I received some really awesome news this past week while standing in my local Target store - Cooper's tumor pathology (our son undergoing Cancer treatment for Osteosarcoma) came back as responding really well to chemo (95% great to be exact!).

I cried. happy tears! I called Gary to celebrate from the car.

People kept moving along around me and even I kept moving once I hung up the phone...I brought the items I bought home and went through the motions of putting them away. Life kept moving.

We did pause to celebrate more that night with root beer floats in the kitchen. I felt lighter - letting go of a load I wasn't even aware that I was carrying since he was diagnosed in November.

I share this because life moments - good and bad - they pass. We can try out best to hold onto them a bit longer or get them to pass more quickly - but they move at their own pace that we often can't control (despite our best efforts sometimes to act like we can).

Savor the present. That is where joy lives. We have memories of great joy - I will always remember the day among the cart return at Target receiving life-changing news - but it will never be re-lived, just remembered.

I hope you find the joy in today.
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With joy,

jamie

joy.delivered

Thank you to Alicia, Mardelle, Macy and Angelique for helping to deliver snack boxes to our partner hospitals throughout Chicagoland these past couple of weeks! It's amazing to have these volunteers make the magic happen each month.

We also did our monthly deliveries of care packages to Kankakee hospitals.

joy.served

We have served dinner monthly at Comer Children's Hospital since 2010 and we're thankful for our partnership with Weber Grill Restaurant Chicago, which provides dinner eight times each year. Families get SO excited when they hear that we've brought them such a delicious meal. Their generosity allows us to feed every family at the hospital once each month.

Sometimes joy comes in the form of a meal you didn't have to think of (or pay for!).

We thanked the Child Life team at Comer this month with a catered lunch for them because they help make our monthly dinners happen by coordinating with our volunteers and assisting the navigation to each family's room. They are pretty amazing!

joy.assembled

We hosted two great groups in recently to assemble snack boxes and transfer packets. Thank you to the KCC Trio Students and the St. George Catholic Church Confirmation Class.

Run for joy!

Put on your cape and join us for a fun morning supporting families with hospitalized kiddos.

Registration and info: www.runforjoy.org​

Saturday, May 3, 2025
9:00AM (Registration check-in opens at 8:00AM)
Perry Farm Park, Bourbonnais

• 2K walk or 3 mile run
• Sponsorships available - view form here​
• Exciting morning with music by DJ Jason Neuman
• Team discounts available (it's a great workplace team building morning!)
• Timed race with runner awards for top 3 males/females in each age group
• Honored SuperHero kids that have or are battling childhood illness are recognized with signs along the course. Submit a kiddo in your life by emailing jamie@matteasjoy.org

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Mattea's Joy - 447 South Main Street, Bourbonnais, IL 60914
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