Heavy heart today

Today was one of those Mondays.  It started off well enough.  I did get up a tad later than I needed to, and then I had to rush because I thought we had a faculty meeting today.  Turns out that is tomorrow.  About the time I got to school, we got an email from JR saying that one of our assistant principal's mother had been admitted to the hospital about midnight, and then she passed away about 4 AM.  At coffee, one of my dear friends told us that her sister (also a dear friend) is having surgery Wednesday because during a checkup, her blood count was low.  Further testing was done, including a colonscopy.  The doctor could not complete the colonscopy because of a mass.  A biopsy was done, and the mass is malignant.  However, the doctor feels certain that he can remove it and do a colon resection, and all will be good.  Still, it's a scary situation.  During 2nd block, our basketball coach came to my room to see his daughter.  I couldn't imagine it was anything serious.  She is a great kid.  A minute or so later, one of the other teachers stuck her head in my room to ask if she could take the student with her, and then she motioned for me to come over to the door.  I did, and she told me that another of my student's dad had died of a massive heart attack this morning.  The two girls are good friends and have been on dance team together for years. 

So yeah, Monday, you suck!

My heart has been so broken from my sweet student.  It is broken for my administrator, and it is scared for my friend, but the hurt I feel for AK goes deep.  She will graduate in seventeen days, and her daddy won't be there to watch.  She will get married someday, and her daddy won't be able to walk her down the aisle.   She left home this morning thinking that she'd be able to see him when she got home.  Life can be so damn unfair sometimes.

One of her other friends came by during my planning because AK wanted to know what she needed to do for English.  My answer:  NOTHING.  She doesn't need to worry about Macbeth.  (He dies.)  She doesn't need to worry about the next set of vocabulary words.  She needs to take time to grieve.  I told Brooke to tell AK that IF she just needs something to occupy her mind, I will be glad to give her what she will miss, but honestly, as far as I am concerned, if she doesn't do one thing more, she will pass my class.  I always tell my students at the beginning of the semester that I have expectations.  They will be expected to do their work, but I also tell them that I am an understanding person, and I will work with them when life throws them curves.  The loss of a parent is more than just a curve.

AK is a strong young lady, and she has an amazing set of friends who will be there for her.  I know she will be okay...eventually...but her heart will always have that spot that misses her daddy.  I pray that God will comfort her.

Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.  You never know when they'll be gone.