Bend the Rules Day - Part II
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If we were weren’t in the middle of a pandemic, it would be Bend the Rules Day at school today.
Jason passed away on May 24. Two days from today. But the morning he died, it was also Bend the Rules Day at school.
6:35 am.
Jason and I had been at the hospital all night, thinking that he was going to make it. He would be just fine. Just like every other time.
Except he didn’t make it.
He wasn’t fine.
And at 7:15 am Coleman came to the hospital with my parents to find out that his dad had died.
We went to school together that day.
After all, it was Bend the Rules Day.
How could he miss that?
I wrote about why we went to school on the day Jason died and what happened while we were there in this post called "FOMO": https://www.kolettehall.com/fomo/
It might seem surprising, but I can’t think of anything that could have been a better way to spend the worst day ever.
There’s no Bend the Rules Day this year.
It was on the PTA calendar and therefore, I put it on my calendar.
It’s here, on my phone.
But it isn’t happening.
We’re not in school so there’s no PTA fundraiser. There’s no form to fill out. There’s no fee submitted to buy permission to break school rules today.
And I am grateful.
I am grateful that I don’t have to do Bend the Rules Day this year.
I’m glad I don’t have to talk about it.
Or plan for it.
Or send in money for it.
I’m glad there’s no Field Day or Clean Out Your Desk Day or Yearbook Signing Day.
All the stuff that happened during that last week of school. When I became a single mother and Coleman had lost his dad.
We’ll pick all of it up next year when Coleman is King of the School in sixth grade.
But I’m glad I don’t have to do it this year.
No, I do not think that schools are closed because God wanted to send me this tender mercy.
Wanted to protect me from reliving the Bend the Rules goodness that has woven itself into the terribleness of May 24th.
I get that schools are closed because of bigger reasons than me.
But it’s still my miracle.
It’s still my blessing.
One that softens the blow and eases the memory.
And I’m grateful.✊🏻💙
