Some Hard Things

Hello, all!

(Was that a geeky opening?)

I have had some things this past week that I found quite hard to put in perspective. And also, very maddening and complicated and stupid and annoying and terrible.

I have to ask you a question, though, first.

Has any of you ever lost someone close to you? I mean, really close? I haven't.

But my friend Michael has.

Michael's father, Joe, passed away peacefully surrounded by his large family in the wee hours of Thursday morning, of cancer. When my class found out, from the pastor, Father Charlie, on Thursday morning, alot of us were crying and we were all VERY serious, for once.

Father's Day is in one week.

Can you imagine your father passing away ONE WEEK before Father's Day? Can you imagine your father passing away ONE MONTH before your graduation from grade school, and your brother's from high school? Can you imagine your daddy dying TWO MONTHS before your big brother's wedding? Can you imagine your daddy dying ONE YEAR before his first grandchild comes into this world?

Can you imagine?

I can't comprehend any of it.

What do you think we should say to Michael when he comes back to school? How are we going to joke around him? How are we going to talk about stupid movies, or gossip, or laugh around him EVER AGAIN????

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

Help us, here in our humble class and our humble group of friends, please!!!!

Luv,

Emma Eldon