Fiesta with Friends

Three of my coworkers, Jessie, Loraine, and Katie, spent all day yesterday preparing a Mexican feast of tamales, beans, cactus salad, and hibiscus juice. They brought this wonderful meal to us last night, and then turned our dining room into a Mexican restaurant. They brought all the dishes, candles, flowers, tablecloth, even a CD of Mexican music. They served our food and then spent the evening talking and laughing with us.

This incredibly thoughtful effort was made even more special by the presence of Jessie's daughter, Kayla. She knew and adored Sage. When she arrived at our house, she gave us a hand-drawn card and a little angel figurine, and then she looked at Sage's photos and toys. She talked about him without any hesitation. That is the beauty of children. She didn't agonize over whether she would make us feel sad or uncomfortable. She simply expressed herself honestly, and by doing so, she gave us all permission to do the same.