Sadness

I used to talk all the time about my principal last year. I was in love with her in so many ways. Actually I think it was a mutual love. She was constantly building my ego, telling me how great I was, while I would simultaneously admire everything she did from a distance. Major grown up girl crush on this woman. I thought she was the epitome of leadership in the education world. When I left in March to have babies, I found out by way of a mass email sent out by our school, that she took a medical leave to nurse her mental health. I was so in shock that this woman who appeared to me to be so completely together, was actually disguising a very serious illness. Then at the end of the school year, I hear through the grapevine that she "decided" to retire. I was heartbroken.

This year when I got back to school, I found out that Barbara Goldstein wasn't the only amazing principal I would know in my career. Her successor is also equally outstanding at her job, but I still missed having my friend Barbara in my daily school life. I saw her about a month ago at the farmer's market. Something was off. Then today happened. My teaching partner, Pam, is Barbara's sister. She was called out of her classroom today very suddenly and left in hysterics. This woman never misses school. By the end of the day, we didn't know anything, except that it was Barbara and that she had done something to herself.

About an hour ago I got a phone call from the third member of our team who is a longtime friend of Pam and Barbara's families. She told me all she could say was that Barbara died suddenly today.

Sadness

Today is April 7. Too much for April 7. I honestly think about my mom every single day....many times....many times each day, so April 7 really is no different from any other day of missing her. It still means a lot to know that other people know what today is, so thanks for the coded fb messages and writing this day on your personal calendar, and for sending me flowers just to see me smile!

I have foggy beliefs regarding life after death, but I am sure that the way to have someone who has died remain in your life, is to carry on their traditions, teach what they taught, and play how they played. I have no idea what your schedules are like this weekend, but I will be taking the girls out for a walk on Saturday morning around 8:30/9 and then having brunch at my house eating healthy things...skinny breakfast burritos like we're on Apollo Dr. We might even do our walk at Memorial or Rice...never can tell! Come on over if you want! I'll probably even put on some purple shorts.

I don't have many pics of Ida, because her time was not the time of digital photography, but here is a pic of me and Olivia that reminds me of one that I have of me and Ida at about the same time in each of our lives.