And Then I Medicated in the Cafeteria

Lunch is a big deal at Prince Elementary School

The trays are created behind the steam table by the staff,

but the veggies and milk are serve yourself.

The stickers (see the cheeks and the pointer finger?) come from me,

the Official Adopted Grandmother of Prince Elementary School.

I put them on shoulders.

I put them on chests.

I put them on noses and cheeks and foreheads and ears.

Some students are stunned..... 

and some are bemused.

Bemused is an interesting word to share with kids.

These faces are a dictionary definition of the word. 

The littlest ones go for the cookies first.

Try to avoid crying over the lack of color on the trays.

This is what passes for healthy school lunches in Arizona these days.

There are carbs and there is grease and there is ketchup-as-a-vegetable.

I sigh, and compliment the kids with carrots and cucumbers on their trays.

It's the best I can do. 

The kids remember Christina-Taylor, at least the ones who are old enough to have known me over the years.  They wonder how old she'd be now.  They marvel at how much better I am walking.  They wonder when I'll walk the playground with them again.  They share family stories and bites of french fries and wave at me from the end of the table.

Granny! Gramma!!  Miss Suzi!!!

It's balm for a sore soul.

It doesn't bring her back.

It eases the edges, and, on Friday, that was enough.

As I have said before, and as I will say again,

it's impossible to be sad when little ones are hugging me.