The Healing Journey

March 21, 2025

Mattie J.T. Stepanek wanted to be remembered as “a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played.” During his life, he published seven best-selling books of poetry and essays. He was a friend to President Jimmy Carter, and he appeared on Oprah. Jimmy Carter called Mattie, “the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known.”

Mattie knew grief in his short life. He battled a rare form of muscular dystrophy, dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy — an illness that claimed his three older siblings. The condition was unknown until 1992 when his mother was diagnosed after her four children were born.

Mattie, who began writing poetry at 3, died at 13 on June 22, 2004. His poems touch on many themes, including his illness, grief and loss, but most of all on hope and love.

Unanswered Questions

My brother Jamie died.
His muscles-and-bones
Did not work at all anymore.
His happiness and specialness
Went into Heaven and
His body got buried in
The hole that goes into the ground
And then into the sky
And then to the Everywhere
And Forever that is Heaven.
I know why he died,
But I also don’t know why.
I really don’t.
He is happy,
And sometimes I am, too.
And sometimes I am sad
Or angry or scared or confused.
And sometimes I think
That maybe, I didn’t hold his hand tight enough.
©Mattie T.J. Stepanek December 1993

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