Like Leaves in the Wind

Today I wore triangles, and never got around to that geometry lesson. My class had a long discussion about the first grader who died yesterday, about cancer and sadness and loss. We talked about how hard it must be for Hugh's brother and his mom and dad. And then all of the children made cards for the family with messages like, "Remember how Hugh liked to laugh."

How lucky we are to live in a time and place where the death of a child is rare, unlike our not-so-distant ancestors and the residents of developing countries for whom childhood illnesses remain deadly threats.

These earrings were a gift from my mother-in-law who bought them to support the work of the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. They were made by hand of gourds and homemade beads. All day the tiny metal leaves dangling at the bottom jingled faintly as if moved by a gentle wind. Remember.