Dear Henry

Hey, look, it's your brother, Joey Potter. Joe got into the spirit of things this weekend.



On Friday night at midnight we went to Politics & Prose to wrap a whole bunch of Harry Potter books to take to Georgetown the next morning. Mom, Jack and I had an assembly line going -- with Mom doing most of the work, of course. I am a lousy wrapper. I did most of the carrying though. I am good at that.

On Saturday morning we went to the clinic at Georgetown for a party. All of the kids were really excited. Uncle Stinky read some trivia questions, and one of the patients read the first chapter. It was fun.





On Saturday night, the Hope for Henry Foundation delivered books to the kids on the transplant floor at Fairview. The cool thing is that Jason put the books on everyone's dinner trays. I was worried that there would be kids like you who wouldn't eat dinner, but then I remembered that there would be daddies like me who would eat their kids' meals.

From all reports the kids in Minnesota were also psyched to get their books.



Here is a picture of one of the kids wearing his Hope for Henry Foundation gift, his iPod, while he is reading the new Harry Potter book. How cool is that.



It was a crazy weekend because we also drove out to the Eastern Shore, right near Nana and Papa Sy's house, to see our friends the Knapps. Their house and their farm were beautiful. We went fishing and kayaking, so I guess that is what everyone does on the Eastern Shore.





This was my favorite part. There was a basketball net in the barn. I think they should put lights in there so you can play all night. This is heaven.



Jack and Joe's favorite part had to be the Emu farm that was next door. They look like ostriches. Of course Jack knew all about them.





They also have two of these motorized thingies. Remember the one we had in Minnesota. I never told you and Jack that I donated it to the hospital because I couldn't fit it on top of the car for the ride back to DC. Sorry.



On Monday we headed up to New York and New Jersey for more Hope for Henry stuff. Jack went with, while Joe stayed home and went to camp at the Gan. We made a stop in New York City and went on TV to talk about what we were doing.

After the TV show we headed over to the Pokemon store. Guess what. It isn't the Pokemon store anymore. It is the Nintendo store.

We then drove to Hackensack for a Harry Potter book party at the Tomorrow Children's Institute clinic. Everyone was there, Dr. Gillio and Dr. Brochstein.

I hadn't been back to Hackensack since you were alive. I lived for every foot of the hospital, the clinic, the hallways, the elevators, rooms and everywhere you used to be. We visited a kid in your room at the end of the hall. It looked just the same.

I went and looked at the showers where I would sneak off to so I could get clean before you got up. I was always worried you'd wake up alone before I got back. They had good water pressure. I checked out the lounge where I spent my birthday one year. I looked in on the room where Papa Teddy and I would watch football games. I miss those rooms and those times.





When we were through at the hospital, we made one last stop before driving home. We bought a Hero Bear for Joe and I think Jack got a comic book.



I am looking at a picture of you and crying. It is all so hard but hard is good.

I miss you.