.connecticut.

what is there to say? nothing, except that like the rest of the country, my stomach hurts.

today when i got to my friends aaron and irene's house,

i scooped their five-year-old up and hugged him hard and long,

burying my face in his little-boy hair as he, oblivious, told me about how he helped his dad change the brake pads today.

last night i cuddled and laughed and ate nachos with my cohort at jeffrey and sheri's,

all of us gleeful and triumphant over finishing the hardest academic semester we've ever done.

it was good to be with them.

i dragged my finals-weary body out of bed early this morning and went to see some of my little girls play basketball.

i sat on the high-school-gym bleachers with their moms, and cheered as their lean, happy ten-year-old selves ran around the court, high-fiving each other and hustling to catch rebounds.

i thought of young women teaching elementary schoolers,

like this one,

and lynn, and christine,

until i couldn't anymore.

what else is there to do?

hold the ones you love.