Wait...

First day of school had a soft launch.
All of a sudden back-to-school seemed routine, with curious anticipation and generally tempered excitement.
Her teachers had already come to visit us at home, so I guess that was all she needed.
Lily was ready.
Why am I not surprised?

She picked out her clothes, and two relatively undramatic wardrobe changes later, we walked to the bus, happily re-connected with school buddies and upon arrival she was...
off.
sprinting delightedly with her friends,
flying up church steps,
reeling through the "pushing doors",
and there we were, round two - second year bigger than the first.

How
Time
Flies

Her cubby was waiting, teachers energetically in place, Lily entered the room and didn't look back.
Five minutes in,
I want you to go Mama.

And I was... dismissed.
Love
Independence
Independence
Love.

Happy/Sad I left the room, spying on her playdoh play, and not so emotional - just... jolted. Somewhere Alan must have been saying,
Go Sus,
go.
Maybe he lingered with her, or maybe she gently nudged his spirit away too ~
Surely he was with us today.
Many were with us -
An old friend who knew him and new friends who know of him, so they rounded out the picture ~

Plenty of beauty in the air today.

As my brother recently shared with me, Bruce has added a chant to his shows - to honor beloved band members no longer alive:

If you're here,
And we're here,
Then they're here.

Sigh.

Must be.

Must be.