Deep breath.

So this morning after I dropped off Eldest Son for his first day of school (which gave me a pang, knowing...), I stopped off to get some flowers and a card, and took them to the home of our friends. 

They had taken their two older boys to school too, somewhat to my surprise, but in retrospect it makes sense.  Get the kids thinking about something else, for a little while at least.  The mom and dad and the littlest brother (who is just a couple of months older than my own Littlest Brother -- we were pregnant together in our Moms' Group) whom I saw at their home, are all dealing with this really amazingly well, considering. 

I felt like a dope at first, bringing flowers, when I belatedly thought, "Why didn't I bring food or something more practical?" but then the mom mentioned to someone who called on the phone that she had been given so much food already that she needed to start putting some of it in the freezer.  So then I didn't feel so bad about the flowers. 

A neighbor and two relatives were camped out in the living room and appeared to have things well in hand, so when the mom found some library books that needed to go back, I volunteered for that job, and left again. 

So, I'm glad I went. 

The memorial service is on Thursday evening.