Lists and lists and lists of things

I tried to write, meant to write, and didn't or couldn't a few weeks ago. A little girl, 12 years old, died and I wanted to write it all down, but... well, I didn't. She got drunk and got in a car and drove home. Almost made it, but didn't. The community hurt, still hurts, will probably always hurt, but I think and hope that it changes. That something changes. I hope. We all do.

And now there's everything else. Mom visits and pumpkin carvings and students that are wonderful and students that are less wonderful. Or at least have less wonderful days. There's birthdays and snowfalls (not here, but not far away... drive for half an hour and you're covered in the stuff. It's -4 in the morning when I go to school these days... COLD when the fire's gone out). There's Halloween and Halloween costumes and parties and parties and costumes and pumpkins and candy and fireworks.

And there's other visits. Special ones, long ones, ones that aren't vacations because they last 6 weeks. They may last a winter and a spring. They make your heart beat a little off kilter and they make you smile looking at the ground because you know you've already started to blush. Just a little bit.

Or maybe a lot.