Street Clearing

It snowed all night and most of the day. When it snows, they push the snow off the roads and and then make piles.. These guys then come along and shovel the piles into the back of trucks and haul it off to somewhere else. I got this on the way to school.

It was a tragic day at school today. As I went into the classroom for my last class, a few of the mums were standing outside the room crying. My co-teacher, Helen, was standing with them and then headed into the classroom ahead of me. I asked her what it was all about. She turned to me and said, "We'll only have nine students now. One of the students died on Thursday." I was shocked. I haven't been here long so I don't know the students well.. But.. she was there last Saturday and now she's gone.

As I said, I don't know the students very well.. But I was humbled that one of the girls felt close enough to me to come to me and say, "Teacher, I am sad and scared. She was my best friend and now she is dead." What are you supposed to say to that? I said that being sad was ok but I asked her why she was scared. She said, "Because she was only 12 years old."

I am deeply saddened. When something like this happens, I rarely feel bad for myself.. but for those more directly involved. I tear up for the parents, for the other students and for Helen who knew her very well.