Twice this week I have had to endure conversations with kids at school about Aiden. Although I like to talk about him, even when it makes me sad, these conversations are so hard. I was on playground duty and a little boy who was in Aiden's class came up to me and asked me where Aiden was. This is a little boy who I have spoken with many times about Aiden and I tried to brush him off, change the subject, but he just wouldn't drop it. Where IS he? He was in my class last year and he is not here now, so where IS he? He was very insistent. Finally I said, He is in heaven. The little boy said, That is creepy...and ran off.Then one of my own students, a little girls whose brother was in Aiden's class in preschool and in kindergarten, met me first thing this morning at the door to the room and said, Mrs. Newkirk, my brother's friend died yesterday. Oh, no, I said, what happened? He was in my brother's room and he had something the matter with his brain. And I am scrambling to pull my thoughts together, thinking, how could something like this happen again. In Mrs. Phillips room? I ask. Yes, L says, he was my brother's friend. Finally, I ask, what was his name? I don't know, she says. Are you talking about Aiden? Yes, she says...He was my grandson, I say. I know about him. It is sad she says. And into the room we go. It turns out Abby ran into her mother at Home Depot and she asked how Aiden was enjoying being a big brother. She did not know about Aiden. So Abby had to have this conversation with the mom in Home Depot.
