For Sasha

Yesterday was hard.
You were standing on the playground after school, saying good bye to your best friend.
She was leaving you early, to go on a family holiday, and when she returns, you will be gone.

Soon you were clinging to each other, saying "I'll miss you" over and over again.
She had to go, and walked away down the path, looking back with tears falling.

I bent down to you to see the tears in your eyes too.
I picked you up, just like I used to.
Only now your long muscular legs hung down nearly to the ground.

As soon as I had you wrapped in my arms your sobbing began and the tears fell.
I closed my eyes and cried with you and even though we were surrounded by people, for a moment it was just you and me and a giant puddle of loss and hurt.

You're seven now and your pain is real.
You know what good bye really means.

Most times I can make the hard stuff go away.
"You'll see her next week.   We'll go when it stops raining.   You can try again next time..."
But this time I couldn't.
This time is the first of many loves and losses you will have that will break your heart.
This time I could only hold you as we cried.
This time was hard.

You loved well, dear Sasha.
That's why it hurts.