In appreciation of silence

As a goodbye to Syracuse, Tricia threw a party at the Saucy Swan in Manlius. They catered pasta, meatballs and pizza, and it was a way for her daughter to say farewell to her friends as she embarks on a new life in Boston. I'm not sure if I've ever attended an event with twenty screaming eight year old girls before and I couldn't help but channel Carol Burnett from Annie. The cacophony of screetches, screams, laughter, hysteria, and excitement was in stereo. Crawling behind the bar with a bottle of Makers Mark was tempting. I was in need of ear plugs...perhaps a few shots would suffice.

It is always hard to say goodbye, and although the evening was jovial and jubilant, the last ten minutes of the evening were vicious. The girls cried knowing their friend was moving to a new city and separating them from one another was a bit rough. I said to Tricia's father, "Can't we interject and stop this?" All of our hearts were in our throats.

We couldn't, though. Instead, time will he'll and each little girl will be stronger because of it.