Just right

This morning I emailed Katie's second-grade teacher and school guidance counselor with a small reminder that tomorrow is the third anniversary of Steve's death.

I'm not making a big deal about it at home, but Katie is definitely aware. (Cooper, too. That requires a separate blog post.) I'm not sure how Katie will be affected during school tomorrow, but I wanted Wendy and Angie to be aware, just in case.

(And actually, it was probably not necessary to email at all. Angie is always on top of these moments in our family's life. She's the best guidance counselor ever.)

Wendy received my email and called not long after. She wanted to share a Katie conversation from yesterday.

It was time for writing in class. Katie approached her teacher and told her that was feeling a little sad. Wendy asked what she was sad about. Katie said she was thinking of her daddy.

Wendy said that she understood. She asked Katie to look at her charm bracelet. On the bracelet is a gray ribbon.

Katie's eyes got wide. She knew that it represented brain cancer.

Wendy then shared that her own mother has brain cancer. Katie's eyes got even wider. They had a little chat, then Katie was happy to return to her desk and get to work.

Katie now understands that her own teacher lives with the cruel effects of brain cancer. She knows that her teacher "gets it."

This little conversation and Wendy's phone call is yet another reminder that we are placed in just the right community, with just the right friends, at just the right school, with just the right caregivers and teachers.

Once again, my heart is full even as it aches.