Bandana

Yesterday contained a surprise. A few months ago we approached Sarah’s school about arranging some sort of tribute for her there — a buddy bench, or a piece of equipment her classroom needed, or something else that they thought was best. They said they would let us know, and we didn’t hear back, but figured the administration and teachers were super busy. And there’s a lot of stories about understaffing in the county schools right now. So we didn’t push it.

Anyway, yesterday morning I got a call from Sarah’s principal and he had come up with a wonderful idea. Every year the county schools do a kind of Field Day/Special Olympics for the kids with physical disabilities. All the kids from around the county go to a designated school for the event. I remember Sarah really enjoyed participating. Principal Munsey said that Sarah’s school wanted to host the event permanently and name it after Sarah. We are so touched. This is a lovely idea.

So Tuesday we are invited to the official opening of the Sarah G- Games at Sarah’s school. We are very excited! I have arranged to take the whole day off and I think we will try to get a sheet cake and bring it with us. I hope the kids are allowed to have cake — sometimes schools can be funny about that. Well, the teachers can eat it if not!

It will be exciting, but also a little sad, to see Sarah’s aide Ms. Kim again, and Danny and Sammy and all the other kids from her class and her teachers and therapists. I suppose Ms. Kim might have transferred to another school, but I hope not. We haven’t had contact with her since she came over a few days after Sarah died. We haven’t seen Danny either. He was too scared to come to the funeral or come to our house. Death is so hard.

I’m going to have to try not to cry around the kids because I don’t want to scare them, but I think it might be a hard day too. Maybe I’ll wear a bandana around my neck so I can discreetly wipe my eyes, the way Sarah wore a bandana to discreetly wipe her mouth.