i left my special ed. student teaching assignment for three months to be with my dad...when i told my kids i was leaving to be with my dad and that i had no way of knowing when i would be back they had tons of questions:
why can't he go to the hospital?
why can't the doctors help him?
is he going to die?
each question i answered honestly...the question that seemed to stick with me was "when he dies, will you always have tears in your eyes?"... it's a loaded question... it could mean.. will i cry, or will i be sad... but it made me think that he could see my sadness.. and he wondered.. will that go away...it made me think of something someone told me about loosing a parent...it's a pain you never heal from.. you just learn to live with it...
when i came back to finish working with the kids they had many condolences to give... mostly they said i'm sorry...or nothing
it struck me that these kids understood more about grief than adults when one parent told me..."ehh.. it happens.. better him than you right?" when adults say things.. i have to remind myself that they really just don't know what to say... but even kids know that in that case.. you just don't say anything...
a few weeks ago my cousin's adorable son who loved his tio robert. asked when he was coming back.... his dog had died too and he said they were just taking too long to get back....
i know Ry... they are taking way too long!
