I Just Wanted to Play Some More
*this post is still unedited* My friend Janene was taken by esophagus cancer, and I just got back from her funeral. She's my cousin-once-removed, or my dad's cousin, or my aunt depending on how you assign those things. But, she was my friend, too. My kids went to her preschool, and I saw her 3-5 times a week depending on how many kids I had in pre-school at the time. I saw her more than anyone in my life besides the people I live with. And she was happy to see me every time. I was happy and even excited to see her, but it made me feel so remarkably good to know that she was excited to see me. Her smile, and the way her cheeks wrinkled, reminded me of my grandma Alta, at first, and I felt warm and at home to be with her. But with time, we chatted little bits and talked about this and that, and she became my friend. She was so beautiful. She had pre-school teacher sweaters that she wore for every season and holiday and special event. H...