My son's first kindergarten girlfriend.....

For those who don't know, my son is bi-racial.  This year he started kindergarten, and although there are other black and bi-racial kids in his school, there was only one other black child in his class.  Her name was Ashanti.  She was a vibrant, social, smart, cute and confident little girl.  The second week of school, Eli came home and announced he was Ashanti's boyfriend because she told him he was,  and he should get used to her telling him what to do.  The fifth week of school, she taught him a word (guess what it was) and told him it was a word he could say, but his mom couldn't.  Ashanti and her mother, Zakia, perished in an apartment fire last night.  

I was at work today when I found out.  I wanted to take off for home and just hold on to my son.  My dad was watching him while I was busy nursing the sick people at the hospital.  Dad said he didn't want to talk about it, other than to tell everyone he saw that his "girlfriend" went to Heaven.  By the time I got home, Eli was sleeping.

I have been sitting here watching my son sleep, just thanking Jesus that I have Eli, and painfully aware how fast things can change.  I'm also slightly ashamed of how much I have taken for granted.  I don't always practice as much patience with Eli as I should, or spend as much time as I should.  I don't play and laugh with him like I ought to....  and time is short....  painfully short.  

I can't wait for morning, so I can hug my son and tell him how much I love him.