October

October makes me think of many things, some happy things and some sad. My dad died in October. I think of taking the kids trick-or-treating when they were little. I think of how excited they were for Halloween parties. We used to always go to the cider mills and buy warm donuts and ice cold cider. I love October for many reasons. I remember raking leaves into the street as a child and jumping in them. I remember the smell of burning leaves. I can't believe they let me as a small child light the match and they were in the house....Times have changed.

Every October Danielle remembers a friend that died. It has been 9 years. He was good looking, 16 and popular. And he was murdered. The town mourned. Things like that didn't happen here. This is the story written by Mitch Albom. A friend of Danielle's had posted it on Facebook for anyone from New Baltimore to remember. I remember coming home from work at night and seeing Danielle on TV in the funeral procession walking to the cemetary from the church. I saw her in her Varsity Dance Uniform dancing at the soccer game. I saw her grieve. And every evening she and I went over and over the situation. What do you tell your grieving child to make her feel better? Years later she still questions what happened and why. It will never make sense and it will never be explained. Here is Mitch's article....A Bullet's impact. I know it is long but it is a really good article.