Words are not enough

Where to begin? Today was all about endings. 
And friends. 

A morning zoom/you tube closing ceremony for the Academic year, for the whole school, so that's that then. School's out.

An afternoon that I'm not sure I can adequately describe, other than literally, beginning at 14.30 when a large masked gathering of colleagues all came together to say cheerio to both me and Maria who is also retiring. We started together in 1998 too, so it was double everything including gorgeous bouquets and probably the most autobiographical cake I think I have ever seen (see tomorrow's blip!!).  Snacks and lemonade, chats and cascades of kindness.

As if that wasn't enough, well, apparently, it wasn't - we music and art teachers all then moved to Margaret's house where Alex joined us from Maine via Zoom, and the next couple of hours were filled with gifts galore and many more tears, pouring over the 'memory book' presented to me - photos and dedications from colleagues and graduates going back to 2003 - tear after tear jerking page, (assembled and published by Alex, on an idea from Margaret) a catalogue of captured moments that have been my life, as I sat with my dearest friends all together one last time as colleagues.  Each page blurs my vision. 

I wonder if I should tell the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, that they saved me tonight from unlimited heart ache by streaming my favourite opera, The Magic Flute, to let me lose myself in the music more than my melancholy?

More anon, but for this day in the life, I'm done. 
Words were not enough, but they helped.